Department for Transport

Pilotage Act 1987

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms his Department has put in place for responding to allegations that a competent harbour authority has not acted in conformity with the provisions of the Pilotage Act 1987.

Mr Robert Goodwill: It is a Competent Harbour Authority which has the statutory duty to determine what pilotage services need to be provided to secure the safety of navigation of vessels operating in their waters. Where a ruling on the legality of its actions is needed, that is a matter for the court rather than the Department.

Department for Transport: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing Government online forms.

Mr Robert Goodwill: My Department provides a wide variety of online forms across multiple systems. Most of these are designed to enable web users to use perform a transaction, such as to book a driving theory test. Therefore we only ask our users the minimum information required to process their requests to enable them to complete these transactions as quickly as possible. I am mindful that there could be an additional cost to the taxpayer in making changes to online systems to capture and store additional data.

Ports: Safety

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on the Port and Marine Safety Code.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There are no plans to make the Port Marine Safety Code mandatory. The non-statutory status of the Code is vital to its success, enabling port operators to apply industry-agreed good practice flexibly in ways most appropriate to the size and operations of their facility.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons were for the delay in announcing the route of phase 2B of High Speed 2 to Manchester and Leeds.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport have been analysing route and station options in light of the responses received following the Phase Two consultation. We have also been considering Sir David Higgins’ proposals to bring forward the benefits of HS2 to the North with a new Crewe Hub station, improve connectivity between Northern cities, and further integrate with Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan, before deciding how to proceed. HS2 Phase Two remains on target to open in 2033.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 16881, when the consultation on extending the deadline for new cars and motorbikes to have their first MOT test from three to four years will begin.

Andrew Jones: I anticipate this consultation will be published in the summer and will run for 12 weeks.

Aviation: Public Transport Obligations

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34715, and with reference to paragraph 15.20 of the Airports Commission: Final Report, published in July 2015, what response he has made to the Airports Commission's recommendation that the Government should alter its guidance to allow public service obligation subsidies that specify airports both origin and destination.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The criteria for Public Service Obligations (PSOs) are determined by regulations agreed at the European level. We are carefully considering the Airports Commission’s recommendation to extend the scope of PSOs.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any ground investigation work has been carried out in Eddisbury constituency in relation to the High Speed 2 project.

Mr Robert Goodwill: No intrusive ground investigation work has been carried out at this stage. Some preparatory elements of ground investigation such as the study of available information and consultation with related stakeholders has been undertaken. Following a route decision in autumn 2016 HS2 Ltd will begin production of a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any aerial surveys have been carried out in Eddisbury constituency in relation to the High Speed 2 project in 2015 and 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Aerial surveys were undertaken in this area in 2015 to capture photography, video and topographical information. Additional surveys will be undertaken in 2016 to capture hyperspectral data.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which geological surveys undertaken by HS2 Ltd since 17 July 2013 have considered (a) subsidence and (b) the effects of shifting land movement owing to salt movement or other effects of salt mining in Eddisbury constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: No intrusive geological surveys have been carried out at this stage. HS2 Ltd has commissioned from a mining engineer (in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board) a study of the historical subsidence effects and ongoing extractive processes in relation to salt. This includes review of ground movements in the time between two successive (2014 and 2015) HS2 LIDAR surveys of the route in Cheshire, and earlier where relevant third party LIDAR data has been made available. A re-review of the usefulness of satellite interferometry to evaluate historical ground movement across Cheshire (including the Eddisbury constituency) is ongoing. Following a route decision in autumn 2016 HS2 Ltd will begin production of a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work HS2 Ltd has carried out in Eddisbury constituency since 17 July 2013 on mapping unmapped (a) pipework, (b) brine wells and (c) other brine extraction infrastructure.

Mr Robert Goodwill: No field mapping has been carried out except two successive (2014 and 2015) HS2 LiDAR surveys of the route in Cheshire. HS2 Ltd has commissioned from a mining engineer (in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board) a study of the saltfield, including the location of known brine wells. HS2 Ltd has consulted with brine/salt extraction stakeholders in the Eddisbury constituency, including Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd. and Compass Minerals UK Ltd. Following a route decision in autumn 2016 HS2 Ltd will begin production of a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Northwich

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether there have been any meetings between HS2 Ltd and King Street Energy Ltd to discuss the proposed gas storage project near Northwich.

Mr Robert Goodwill: According to the Department for Transport’s records, representatives from HS2 Ltd met with King Street Energy on 25 September 2013 and 22nd May 2014 to discuss interactions with the proposed HS2 route. A further meeting between HS2 Ltd and King Street Energy is scheduled to take place later this year.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research HS2 Ltd has (a) produced and (b) commissioned on the geological effect of the construction and operation of High Speed 2 in Eddisbury constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 Ltd has commissioned from a mining engineer (in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board) a study of the saltfield, which applies to Cheshire including the Eddisbury constituency.HS2 Ltd. has commissioned from Heriot-Watt University a modelling of the geodynamic effects of high speed railway operation, which applies route wide including the Eddisbury constituency.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) construction of High Speed 2 through Eddisbury constituency and (b) dealing with engineering issues arising from salt mining, brine extraction or subsistence in such construction.

Mr Robert Goodwill: No specific estimates have been made for the cost of construction or dealing with engineering issues arising from salt within the Eddisbury constituency, however the cost of construction of this section of HS2 and risk provision for engineering issues arising from salt has been included in the overall funding envelope which was confirmed in November 2015.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Eddisbury

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research HS2 Ltd has (a) produced and (b) commissioned since 17 July 2013 on the potential effect of the construction of High Speed 2 on the aquifer in Eddisbury.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 Ltd have not produced any detailed work specifically examining the potential effect of the construction of High Speed Two on the aquifer in Eddisbury. HS2 Ltd has commissioned desktop studies using existing survey work for the whole of the route from Crewe to Manchester which will examine interactions with landfill and mining and other ground conditions. Following a route decision in autumn 2016 HS2 Ltd will begin production of a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which Natura 2000 sites have been identified as being within 10 miles of the proposed Phase 2 route of High Speed Two.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The following Natura 2000 sites within 10 miles of the proposed Phase 2 Route (Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)) have been identified: 1 SPA site17 SAC sites SPA Name Peak District Moors  SAC Name Birklands & BilhaughCannock ChaseCannock Extension CanalDenby Grange Colliery PondsEnsor's PoolKirk DeightonManchester MossesMottey MeadowsOak MerePasturefields Salt MarshPeak District DalesRiver MeaseRixton Clay PitsRochdale CanalSkipwith CommonSouth Pennine MoorsWest Midlands Mosses

Transport: Disability

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to encourage transport operators to provide services that are accessible to disabled people.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport is committed to building transport networks which work for everyone, ensuring that disabled people have the same access to transport services as non-disabled members of society Compliance with bus accessibility Regulations was 89% in England in 2015; while 60% of rail vehicles, up from 46% in 2013, were built or fully refurbished to modern access standards. By the end of this year Access for All will have completed more than 150 step-free routes at rail stations against a target of 125. More than 1,200 stations have received smaller scale improvements. To build on this success £160m has been allocated to another 68 stations to be delivered by 2019. We plan to require that taxi and private hire vehicle drivers provide assistance to wheelchair users and refrain from charging extra by commencing sections 165 and 167 of the Equality Act 2010 by the end of the year. The Department works closely with its statutory advisors on the needs of disabled people, the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee, such as on a project to develop best practice guidance on the delivery of disability awareness training for bus and coach drivers.

Large Goods Vehicles: Testing

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce HGV testing waiting lists at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency testing centres.

Andrew Jones: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is reducing vocational waiting times by recruiting more examiners, improving its forecasting model to better match resource with demand and redeploying examiners from lower wait centres to those with higher waiting times.

British Transport Police: Finance

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Transport for London will pay to the British Transport Police's budget in 2016-17.

Claire Perry: The British Transport Police (BTP) Authority has approved a budget for 2016-17 which includes an amount of £66.933 million in respect of the Transport for London (TFL) Police Service Agreement and overhead charges. The figure excludes any additional policing services which are provided by the BTP at TfL’s request on a commercial basis.

Invalid Vehicles: Accidents

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents were reported involving mobility scooters in 2015.

Andrew Jones: Statistics for 2015 will be published in June 2016.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 3.103 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what discussions his Department had with the Ministry of Justice on the decision to remove the right to general damages for minor soft tissue injuries and raising the personal injury small claims limit to £5,000.

Andrew Jones: My officials had regular discussions over a range of motor insurance issues, including proposals over whiplash.

Large Goods Vehicles: Weight Limits

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue was raised from fines levied on heavy goods vehicles for exceeding weight restrictions on weight restricted roads in the last year for which figures are available.

Andrew Jones: Penalties related to heavy goods vehicles exceeding weight restrictions on weight restricted roads in England outside London are applied under the criminal justice system. I have been advised by the Ministry of Justice that this specific information is not held. Collating this information would incur a disproportionate cost, because individual cases would need to be looked at. My Department does not hold figures for the civil enforcement fines for this infringement applied by local authorities in London.

Department for Transport: Senior Civil Servants

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his Department's senior officials' business expenses and hospitality data for 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We plan to publish the department’s senior officials’ business expenses for the calendar year 2015 by the end of June 2016 and the senior officials’ hospitality data by the end of July 2016.

Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on signing the Luxembourg rail protocol.

Claire Perry: The United Kingdom signed the Luxembourg Rail Protocol on the 26th February 2016.

Highways Agency and Highways England: Per Capita Costs

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent by (a) Highways England and (b) the Highways Agency per head of population in each region of England in each year since 2009-10.

Andrew Jones: Figures on Highways Agency spend in each region of England can be obtained from the HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA). Data from 2010/11 to 2014/15 are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/477115/CRA_2015_Combined_Database_for_Publication.xlsx Figures for 2009/10 are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/382214/CRA_2014_Combined_Database_for_Publication.xlsx The ONS publishes figures on regional population estimates.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which motorways at which locations automatic number plate recognition cameras are in use; and what offences such cameras are being used to detect.

Andrew Jones: Highways England have installed and operate automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras across 500 sites covering the majority of the motorway and trunk road network. These are used for data gathering and provision of information, such as journey times and are not used for enforcement purposes. In addition, there are a small number of ANPR cameras at the Dartford Crossing to support Dartford free flow charging and 22 sites at various locations operated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to detect offences, including unlicensed operators, untested vehicles and at some locations overloaded vehicles. A private sector company, Trafficmaster, operates their own ANPR cameras to capture traffic flow information to provide traffic services for travellers.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to further restrict the use of drones to ensure (a) the safety of aircraft and (b) privacy of members of the public.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit their craft to endanger any person or property. There are also tough existing penalties, including up to five years imprisonment for endangering an aircraft. Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK. The Secretary of State has written to the Police to request their assistance in raising awareness of drone risks and restrictions. The Department continues to work with the CAA and industry partners to assess the safety risk of drones. It is also currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones. A public consultation is planned for the summer. This will look at a range of options including registration and licensing options, and the potential for restrictions on purchase and use. Operators of drones that might collect personal data must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) unless a relevant exemption applies. The requirements of the DPA are regulated by the independent Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and their website provides clear guidance to operators.

Speed Limits

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he was consulted before the imposition of a 40 mph speed limit on the A15 north Caenby Corner; what guidance is provided to highway authorities on imposing and varying speed limits; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: Setting local speed limits is a matter for the local highway authority, as they are best placed to determine the speed limits for their areas, based on local knowledge and the views of the community. The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued guidance to help them determine the most appropriate speed limit in ‘Speed Limit Circular 01/2013 – Setting Local Speed Limits’.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he made of the potential workload of the Construction Commissioner for High Speed 2 when setting an anticipated commitment of two days per week for that Commissioner.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The two days per week is for the initial period prior to construction – that is what it is estimated to be needed at that stage to prepare for the start of works. It will increase as needed during construction.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme; when he expects that Programme to be completed; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I have been kept informed of the progress with the Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme. Consultations closed on 21 April. 156 responses have been received by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Those responses will be carefully considered by an independent Review Panel that has been constituted with the support of the relevant Trades Unions. A summary of the responses to the consultation will be placed on gov.uk. Final proposals and timetables for implementation will be set out by the Agency’s Chief Executive in due course. The Programme will be implemented by 2020.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Air Quality and the recommendation to introduce a diesel scrappage scheme.

Andrew Jones: Tackling air quality is a priority for this Government and we are committed to meeting air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide in the shortest possible time. My Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work closely together at all levels to embed air quality considerations in the development of transport policy and delivery. The UK Air Quality Plan, published on 17 December 2015, sets out a comprehensive approach for meeting EU legal limits in the shortest possible time through a new programme of Clean Air Zones. The Plan combines targeted local and national measures to ensure that UK air will be cleaner than ever before, forming part of a wider approach that exploits new and clean vehicle technologies. A national scrappage scheme cannot guarantee emissions reductions as effectively as other alternatives. This is because air quality issues are often localised and can be managed in other ways. Government will respond to the report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Air Quality in the normal way.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on whether constructing Phase 1 of High Speed 2 would breach the requirements of Directive 2008/520/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The specific information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with motor vehicle insurance companies on reducing the number of uninsured drivers.

Andrew Jones: Officials in my Department have regular contact with the insurance industry to discuss measures to reduce uninsured driving. I last met with representatives from the insurance industry in January to discuss a range of issues related to motor insurance including measures which can reduce the cost of insurance and thereby reduce the incentive to drive without insurance.

Volkswagen

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Minister of State to the Transport Committee on 25 April 2016, what further testing or retesting his officials are carrying out; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: Our initial testing programme, launched in the wake of the VW emissions scandal, is now complete and the results were published on 21 April. The Department for Transport will be establishing a new unit focused on checking that vehicles meet type approval requirements. The unit will have a budget of £1 million a year and will involve the department’s agencies, the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. It will initially focus on emissions testing and enforcement. The unit will be operational later this year.

National Air Traffic Services: Government Shareholding

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated value is of his Department's shareholding in NATS Holdings.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The most recent valuation in the Department for Transport’s accounts is £425m.

Volkswagen

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has made to Volkswagen on establishing a compensation scheme for vehicle owners in the UK affected by that company's use of defeat devices.

Andrew Jones: The Government expects Volkswagen to treat its UK customers fairly and adequately address their concerns. We continue to press Volkswagen on the issue of compensation for UK consumers and the Secretary of State has summoned the Managing Director of VW UK to a further meeting this week to discuss the issue.

Volkswagen

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help provide (a) compensation from VW Group for drivers and (b) partial or full reimbursement for retesting cars under the Vehicle Emissions Testing Programme.

Andrew Jones: We continue to press Volkswagen on the issue of compensation for UK consumers. The Secretary of State summoned the Managing Director of VW UK to a further meeting this week to discuss the issue. We undertook the Vehicle Emissions Testing Programme to check for further test cycle manipulation strategies as used by the Volkswagen Group. To ensure the independence of this important programme neither the vehicles nor the testing facilities were provided by the vehicle industry, and the department funded the testing.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Impact Assessments

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 14 April 2016 to Questions 32741 and 32742, what grounds are given in the Cabinet Office guidance referred to for undertaking (a) business engagement assessments and (b) impact assessments; and what weight was given to those grounds in the decision not to undertake either such assessment for the (i) programme and (ii) proposals referred to.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The statement below is extracted from the Cabinet Office guidance:- ‘Any proposed change in policy, process or practice by a regulator which does not require a full Impact Assessment, but which creates a significant increase or decrease in the burden of regulator activity on business should trigger an Assessment.’ The proposals contained in the consultation document do not propose a significant change to the point of service delivery of regulated services to the end user, for example vessels in ports around the United Kingdom or globally.

Railways: Market Harborough

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Network Rail's planned Market Harborough rail-straightening works in Control Period 5 are fully funded.

Claire Perry: The planned work at Market Harborough to straighten the line and reduce journey times is part of this government’s £38bn investment in the railway over the period to 2019.

Consumer Rights Act 2015: Travel

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the rationale is for the extended exemption of the travel sector from the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions, Savings and Consequential Amendments) (Amendment) Order 2016.

Claire Perry: Last year we consulted on an exemption from certain provisions of the Consumer Rights Act for rail, aviation and maritime transport. We have listened to the views we have received, and have decided not to seek a permanent exemption for these sectors. The temporary exemption for rail only, which will last for one year until October 2017, will allow the industry time to move to a more consistent compensation scheme.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that terrorists cannot get into the UK from the Republic of Ireland.

James Brokenshire: The Government is working with Ireland to better safeguard our citizens from international terrorism by strengthening the external border of our shared Common Travel Area (CTA).There is a high level of collaboration on a joint programme of work which includes, investment in border procedures, increased data sharing to inform immigration and border security decisions, interoperable passenger data systems, including the collection and processing of Advance Passenger Information (API) on intra and extra CTA routes, and harmonised visa policy and processes.

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Cyber Streetwise campaign and (b) her Department's policies on reducing the level of cyber crime.

Mr John Hayes: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



Cyber Streetwise is a cross Government campaign, developed by private and public stakeholder partners and coordinated by the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit. It is designed to measurably make the UK a safer place to interact and do business online by increasing individual and SME adoption of safe online behaviours. Since its launch in January 2014, it is estimated that 2 million adults have adopted safer online behaviours that will better protect them.The quarterly crime statistics bulletin published on 21 April , set out a 6% decrease in computer misuse crime (from 15,322 offences to 14,347 offences), during the year ending December 2014 to December 2015.Cyber Security, including cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. The Government are continuing to invest in law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional and local levels to ensure delivery agencies have the capacity to deal with the increasing volume and sophistication of cyber crime.Through the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP), we invested over £90 million under the last Parliament to bolster the law enforcement response. My Rt.Hon. Friend, the Chancellor announced in November that this Government has committed to spending £1.9 billion on cyber security over the next five years, including for tackling cyber crime. We will also publish a second five-year National Cyber Security Strategy this year.

Home Office: EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many infraction proceedings the EU has initiated against her Department in each of the last 10 years; what the reasons were for each such proceeding being undertaken; and what the outcome was of each such proceeding.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each Member State can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here:http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=en

Visas: Pharmacy

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 visas have been issued for pharmacists in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The figures below show the number of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) assigned in support of visa applications for Pharmacists in each of the last three years. A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is required to support all visa applications and a sponsor is required to enter a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code on their CoS. There is a SoC code for Pharmacists.Assigning a CoS does not guarantee a visa will be issued.2013 3802014 3802015 400

Thailand: Capital Punishment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government authorised the National Crime Agency to supply evidence to the Thai government on the case of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo without seeking written assurances that they would not be sentenced to death by that government.

Karen Bradley: It is the longstanding policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. It would be inappropriate to comment on this case given ongoing legal proceedings.

Police: Sick Leave

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have taken time off work due to stress in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of police officers who have taken time off work due to stress.Policing, by its nature, can be a stressful and demanding job and it is the responsibility of chief officers, supported by the College of Policing, to ensure that good management systems are in place to support police in their work.The Home Office recognises the importance of police welfare - last October we allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.

Female Genital Mutilation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of female genital mutilation have been reported in (a) London and (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Karen Bradley: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.The most recent NHS data published on 8 March shows that between October – December 2015 there were 1,316 newly identified cases of FGM within the NHS. A breakdown of this information by region is available at: www.hscic.gov.uk, as are earlier reports.In addition, data released by the Ministry of Justice on 31 March shows that since their introduction in July 2015, 32 FGM Protection Orders were issued between July and December 2015.A new mandatory reporting duty requiring regulated health and social care professionals and teachers to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police came into force on 31 October 2015. The duty will help increase the number of referrals to the police in order to deter perpetrators and in turn prevent this appalling crime from happening.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs on the applicability of the European Security Strategy to the UK since recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the wider use of the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence in the UK.

Mr John Hayes: The European Agenda on Security is a European Commission communication, and has no legal force or application to the UK. Where there are individual Justice and Home Affairs measures, the Government will take an opt-in decision on a case-by-case basis, putting the national interest at the heart of the decision making process. The UK has a national counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which informs its counter terrorism activity. The Home Office engages closely with policy makers and practitioners elsewhere to share expertise.

Money Laundering

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the (a) effect of the Criminal Justice and Data Protection Regulations 2014 have had in assisting enforcement agencies in EU member states to recover money laundered abroad and (b) potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the UK's ability to tackle money laundering internationally.

James Brokenshire: The Criminal Justice and Data Protection Regulations 2014 implement two EU Framework Decisions on the mutual recognition of freezing orders (freezing evidence, the proceeds of crime or the instrumentalities of crime) and confiscation orders. The Regulations provide that these orders are sent under a certificate with the presumption that an order issued in one EU Member State will be recognised and enforced quickly against relevant property in another Member State, with a limited ability to refuse to cooperate.The UK believes that the ability to recognise and enforce such orders quickly is an important tool for seizing criminal assets, and the UK has strongly encouraged other Member States to implement these decisions to allow them to be used to recover criminal assets across the EU. The process for leaving the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The process is unprecedented. There is more detail set out in the Government’s White Paper on the process for withdrawing from the EU, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/504216/The_process_for_withdrawing_from_the_EU_print_ready.pdf

Money Laundering

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for mutual legal assistance have been made to foreign jurisdictions to recover criminal assets laundered abroad in each year since 2009; and what the jurisdictions are to which those requests were made.

Mr John Hayes: Outgoing requests for restraint and confiscation transmitted via the Home Office are set out in the tables below. The data does not include requests transmitted directly under Council Framework Decisions 2003/577/JHA (Freezing Orders) and 2006/783/JHA (Confiscation Orders).These figures only show countries where 5 or more requests have been made for restraint or confiscation. This is because disclosure of figures where 5 or fewer requests have been made may lead to the identification of an individual Mutual Legal Assistance request.Please note that these figures are taken from local management information, and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.2009CountryRequestsSpain11Other47Total58 2010CountryRequestsSpain22Cyprus11Jersey8Other51Total92 2011CountryRequestsSpain9Cyprus9Other61Total79 2012CountryRequestsSpain11Jersey7Other53Total71 2013CountryRequestsSpain10Other45Total55 2014CountryRequestsSpain13Isle of Man7Other47Total67 2015CountryRequestsSpain9United Arab Emirates6Jamaica6Other62Total83

Offences against Children

Mr Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35297, which officials from which departments attended the meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Child Sexual Abuse; and whether the minutes from previous meetings of that group are made available to hon. Members.

Karen Bradley: Officials from the Home Office, Department for Education, Department for Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Justice, Department of Health, Department for Culture Media and Sport, and the Attorney General’s Office have attended meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Child Sexual Abuse. Minutes of the meetings are made available to hon. Members who sit on the Inter-Ministerial Group.

Intelligence Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Security at the Home Office in the sitting of the Investigatory Powers Bill of 26 April 2016, column 549, PBC (Bill 143) 2015-16, how many details of medical records the security and intelligence services hold; what the definition of medical records was for the purposes of that contribution; and whether the intelligence and security services attain medical records directly from those who hold them.

Mr John Hayes: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alexander Litvinenko

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what weight she has given to the list of people allegedly implicated in the murder of Mr Alexander Litvinenko provided to her by Mrs Marina Litvenenko; and whether her Department has taken any action against those people.

Mr John Hayes: The Home Secretary has responded in writing to Mrs Litvinenko on 8 March 2016. Whilst this was private correspondence, it reflected the Home Secretary’s oral statement to Parliament on 21 January 2016 setting out the Government’s response to Mr Litvinenko’s death.For security reasons the Government does not routinely comment on action taken in relation to specific individuals. A number of those listed are subject to some form of overt action, for example, the EU sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, on which the UK has led the way.

Antisemitism

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of racially motivated attacks in England and Wales targeted Jews in each of the last five years.

Karen Bradley: The Home Office does not hold the requested information. The Home Office receive data on hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales for the five centrally monitored strands (race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity) but these data cannot be broken down by race or religion of the victim and cover all offences, not just “attacks”. The most recently available data relate to the financial year 2014/15 and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2014-to-2015The Association of Chief Police Officers also publishes data on hate crimes for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These figures separate out the number of crimes that were anti-Semitic. Data for 2014/15 can be found at:http://www.report-it.org.uk/files/hate_crime_data_npcc_2014-15.pdfFrom April 2016, the Home Office will collect a breakdown of religion-based hate crime data from the police to help forces build community trust, target their resources and enable the public to better hold them to account. This information will be provided voluntarily in 2016/17, but we intend to make it mandatory from the following year.

House of Commons Commission

Palace of Westminster: Art Works

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34469, where the four portraits referred to in that Answer are located; and what proportion of all paintings and portraits in the Palace of Westminster those portraits represent.

Tom Brake: The four portraits are located in the following locations:The portraits of Diane Abbott and Paul Boateng hang in Portcullis House.The portrait of Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji is displayed in the corridor leading to the House of Commons Strangers Gallery.The portrait of Baroness Amos hangs in the corridor off Princes Chamber in the House of Lords.There are approximately 310 painted portraits in the Parliamentary Art Collection.The majority of the painted portraits in the Parliamentary Art Collection are historical ones depicting members of the Royal Family and Parliamentarians pre-1900, of whom few were of black, Asian, or minority ethnic (BAME) origin.The Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art is committed to reflecting the diversity of the House today, and to recognising those who have influenced Parliament and contributed to its development in a notable way through the Parliamentary Art Collection. The Committee has agreed to give further consideration to the matter in the current Parliament.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

EU Law

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a list of EU draft legislation that has been forwarded to the European Parliament but which has currently been frozen by European Commissioner Timmermans through the application of Better Regulation principles.

Mr David Lidington: The European Commission has committed itself to withdraw, modify or repeal legislative proposals through a number of processes. In the 2015 Commission Work Programme, there were 80 proposed withdrawals. Of these, 73 have now been delivered. The remaining seven have been modified by the Commission, or were proposals where the Council and the European Parliament had not been able to come to an agreement, but have since made progress. A list can be found in the Official Journal of the European Union [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2015:080:FULL&from=EN]. In the 2016 Commission Work Programme, the Commission is working on the withdrawal or modification of a further 20 proposals. The Commission has also reduced the number of new initiatives proposed in its annual work programmes by over 80 per cent compared to 2014.Under the UK’s new settlement with the EU, the European Commission has agreed for the first time to set specific targets to reduce the overall burden on business in key sectors. The Commission has also committed to ‘establish a mechanism to review the body of existing EU legislation for its compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality’; in setting priorities for this review, the Commission will be duty-bound to consult the Council and national parliaments. Further information can be found in the Government’s White Paper, “The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom’s special status in a reformed European Union”.

Office of UK Permanent Representative to EU

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what total amount of expenses was claimed by officials working for the UK Permanent Representation to the EU in each of the last five years.

Mr David Lidington: We cannot provide a figure for the total amount of expenses claimed by officials working for the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) in each of the last five years, except at disproportionate cost. Expense claims made by UKRep officials are incorporated into budgets that are aggregated across the Government’s Brussels platform as a whole, which consists of UKRep, the British Embassy in Belgium, including UKTI and Consular operations, the UK Joint Delegation to NATO and Corporate Services Benelux.

Office of UK Permanent Representative to EU

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many civil servants and diplomats form part of the UK Permanent Representation to the EU; how many such officials there were in each pay band in each of the last five years;  and what the total staffing cost of UKREP was in 2015-16.

Mr David Lidington: UKRep includes staff from a number of different Government Departments. The number of staff employed by UKRep varies throughout the year, depending on changing requirements at the Representation. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently has 122 full time posts at UKRep, both UK based and Locally Engaged. Details of the current senior team at UKRep can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-representation-to-the-eu/about/our-governance .A breakdown of officials by pay band for the last five years could not be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost; however FCO's annual report and accounts for each financial year, including an overview of salary costs, can be found on GOV.UK .

Office of UK Permanent Representative to EU

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost was of maintaining the UK Permanent Representation to the EU in each of the last five years.

Mr David Lidington: We cannot provide a figure for the total cost of maintaining the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) in each of the last five years, except at disproportionate cost.The budgets involved are aggregated in different ways, normally across HMG’s Brussels platform as a whole, which consists of UKRep, the British Embassy in Belgium, including UKTI and Consular operations, the UK Joint Delegation to NATO and Corporate Services Benelux.Administrative resource spend, which includes, but is not limited to, Locally Engaged staff salaries, travel costs, telecoms, catering and entertainment and IT, is shared across the Brussels platform and difficult to disaggregate. Facilities management costs (eg security, reception, cleaning) are also shared across the Brussels platform and difficult to disaggregate. The rent spent on the offices which house UKRep and the British Embassy is aggregated. Salaries and allowances paid to UK-based staff working at UKRep are captured in further separate budgets, and would involve significant resource to disaggregate.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Staff

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials in his Department work in the referendum unit.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities. It is not possible to identify a precise figure for full time equivalent staff working on the referendum because a range of staff are involved across various FCO departments – eg EU department, legal advisers, press office – and for some of whom the proportion of their time devoted to referendum issues varies day by day.

Piracy

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his international counterparts and (b) within international organisations on private sector marine vessels conducting armed anti-piracy operations in support of merchant shipping in international waters.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK Government has had no discussions with international counterparts on private sector marine vessels conducting deliberate operations against pirate vessels (i.e. 'private navies'). The Government does however discuss the use of Vessel Based Armouries (VBAs) at the International Code of Conduct for Private security in Switzerland and with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). VBAs allow Private Maritime Security Companies to off-load and collect weapons from international waters before leaving and entering the High Risk Area for piracy. The UK Government only permits the use of armed guards on UK flagged vessels operating inside the East Africa/Indian Ocean ‘High Risk Area’ as defined by industry.

Piracy

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his international counterparts and (b) within international organisations on piracy affecting merchant shipping in international waters.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK plays a leading role in international efforts to suppress piracy affecting merchant shipping. UK officials helped ensure the mandate of Operation Atalanta, the EU’s counter piracy naval mission, was extended until 2018. The UK is also co-chair of the working group on capacity building of the [UN] Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.We also support west and central African states to develop their maritime strategies and improve their ability to secure their territorial waters, using a combination of military expertise, development assistance and diplomatic support.In South East Asia, the UK is a member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and has helped improve information sharing and enhanced cooperation.

Israel: Palestinians

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the proposal from the French government to convene a conference on the Israel-Palestine peace process.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are in close contact with the French about the proposed conference in Paris next month. We share the frustration at the lack of progress in the Middle East Peace Process. We believe that peace will ultimately only come through negotiations between the parties. Regional players, the EU and the Quartet can play a role in supporting progress.

Indonesia: Minority Groups

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Indonesian government on the situation of the Gafatar community.

Mr Hugo Swire: Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. He urged them to ensure the rights of all individuals to practise their religion or belief freely were fully respected and protected. Our Deputy Head of Mission in Jakarta has also raised the situation of the Gafatar community with the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

Commonwealth: Diplomatic Relations

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

Mr Hugo Swire: We have well established Diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries both through the FCO’s global network and through Ministerial and official contacts with Commonwealth High Commissions and the Commonwealth Secretariat. These enable us to engage with the 52 other Commonwealth members both bilaterally and on Commonwealth business. In 2014 we appointed the first UK Commonwealth Envoy specifically to forge closer ties with London-based High Commissioners and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Our membership of international organisations such as the UN Security Council and EU means that we are uniquely placed to make our voice heard, particularly in support of the Commonwealth’s smaller members.

Armed Conflict: Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will press to agree a definition of the term foreign fighter with his EU counterparts.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I and the Home Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), have been actively working with our EU counterparts to agree an appropriate definition of the term foreign fighter. All member states agree on the need to tackle this threat and the Presidency is seized of the importance of agreeing a definition within the coming months.

Middle East: Crimes against Humanity

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has (a) drafted a motion for or (b) discussed a draft of a motion with other members of the UN Security Council since 20 April 2016 that would refer the perpetrators of suspected (i) genocide and (ii) war crimes in Syria or Iraq to the International Criminal Court.

Mr Philip Hammond: Holding answer received on 28 April 2016



In August 2014, the UK sponsored UN Security Council resolution 2170 which reaffirmed the call for those who have committed or are responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in Iraq and Syria to be held accountable. UN Security Council resolution 2249, passed in November 2015, again confirmed the importance of holding the Islamic State in the Levant (also known as Da’esh) to account. These resolutions follow an attempt in May 2014 to have the Security Council refer the situation in Syria to the ICC which was vetoed by Russia and China. We continue to discuss with partners on the UN Security Council further ways to ensure that the perpetrators of crimes committed in Syria and Iraq are held to account and face justice.

Israel: Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of reports that on 11 March 2016 on Palestinian television President Abbas described all of Israel as being an occupation of Palestinian territory.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: While we have not made an assessment of these specific reports, we have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, the type of action and language which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem met with President Abbas on 17 March where he raised our concerns on incitement.

Maldives: Counter-terrorism

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Maldivian government in counter-terrorism efforts.

Mr Hugo Swire: Counter-terrorism is an area on which we are keen to work closely with the Maldivian Government. I discussed this with representatives of the Government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives in January 2016. Most recently, in April 2016, a group of Maldivian police officers visited the UK to discuss further cooperation.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to assist the Maldivian government with its governance reform plan.

Mr Hugo Swire: The Government, along with others in the international community, has a number of concerns about governance and human rights in the Maldives. This includes the decreasing independence of institutions, the diminishing freedoms of expression and association, and the arbitrary detention of political figures. I discussed these issues with President Yameen and his Government when I visited the Maldives in January 2016.

China and Saudi Arabia: Human Rights

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken through the UN to promote the human rights situation in (a) China and (b) Saudi Arabia.

Mr Hugo Swire: In respect of China, the UK made a national statement on 15 March under Item 4 of the UN Human Rights Council about the human rights situation there. We highlighted our concerns about the application of due process and transparency of justice, as well as the importance of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. We also supported the EU’s Item 4 statement on China the same day. On 10 March, we signed up to a cross-regional Item 2 statement delivered at the Human Rights Council, alongside eleven other countries, on China’s deteriorating human rights record. In respect of Saudi Arabia, the British Government’s position on human rights is a matter of public record. We regularly make our views well known including through the UN Universal Periodic Review process and we supported the EU’s Item 4 statement on Saudi Arabia on 15 March at the UN Human Rights Council, which noted a range of human rights concerns. We will continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Saudi Arabian authorities at the highest level.

Counter-terrorism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage US-based IT companies to make customer use data available to UK intelligence services to help tackle international terrorism.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government works with IT companies around the world to ensure that we have the information required to tackle threats to the UK.UK law grants warrants issued in pursuit of such data extra-territorial jurisdiction. The Government is also in the process of negotiating a bilateral agreement with the US which will aid the ability of US companies to respond to UK warrants.

Giulio Regeni

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on action taken by the Egyptian government against Reuters as a result of that company's reporting of the case of Giulio Regeni; and what representations he has made to that government on such reports.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned by reports that Reuters is under investigation in relation to an article published on 21 April about Giulio Regeni’s case, and are in contact with Reuters to establish the facts. We consider a free and independent media to be a vital element of a stable and democratic state. As well as calling on the Egyptian authorities to ensure a full and transparent investigation in full cooperation with the Italian authorities, we continue to call on the Egyptian government to ensure that the rule of law and rights enshrined in the Egyptian constitution are protected, so that journalists are able to operate freely without fear of persecution.

India: Prisoners

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Indian government on the release from prisons of the five Britons working for the AdvanFort Security Company.

Mr Philip Hammond: We continue to make representations on behalf of the six British men in this case. On 1 April the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised this case for the fourth time with the Indian Prime Minister at a summit in Washington. During April it has been raised again with both the Indian Minister of External Affairs and the Indian Foreign Secretary and with the State Government during the 27-28 April visit to Chennai of the new High Commissioner.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Secondment

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many members of his Department's staff from which of his Department's sections were seconded to (a) the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff and (b) the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office during 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are not able to provide the number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff seconded to the Joint Intelligence Organisation’s Assessment Staff or the National Security Secretariat for operational security reasons.

Nigeria: Christianity

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has undertaken of the incidence of repression of Christians by the Nigerian government; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of Christian churches that have been destroyed in Nigeria since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: In Nigeria, the right to freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution. Boko Haram seeks to undermine this right by attacking Nigerians of all faiths who do not subscribe to its extremist views. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on the number of churches that have been destroyed in Nigeria, but it is clear that Boko Haram has caused immense suffering in both Christian and Muslim communities. We assess that the majority of their victims are Muslim.We are providing a substantial package of intelligence, military, development and humanitarian support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, including training and advice on counter insurgency and £5 million of support to a regional military taskforce.Nigeria also faces the challenge of inter-communal conflicts between farmers and herdsmen over land, farming rights, grazing routes and access to water. Through our development assistance, the UK supports initiatives to reduce these conflicts and build bridges between communities.We will continue to work with the Nigerian Government, non-governmental organisations and civil society to improve the security situation and human rights for all in Nigeria.

Giulio Regeni

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government supports the request made by the Italian government to the Egyptian government to access telephone records relating to the case of Giulio Regeni; and whether he has made representations on that request to the Egyptian government.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have consistently called on the Egyptian authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation, in support of action by the Italian authorities. I spoke in depth with the Egyptian Ambassador in London on 11 April about Giulio Regeni’s case, including the Italian request for telephone records. We are disappointed by the limited progress made in the case over the last three months and are concerned that Italy has not found the cooperation that Egypt has provided to them to be sufficient.

Nigeria: Armed Conflict

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of civil war in Nigeria as a result of the policy of the government of Nigeria on Biafra.

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of confiscation of land (a) in Biafra and (b) owned by Biafrans by the Nigerian government.

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the potential effects of the grazing bill being considered by the Nigerian National Assembly on land rights in Biafra.

James Duddridge: The UK fully supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and President Buhari’s commitment to work for a secure and prosperous Nigeria for all Nigerians. We are committed to working with Nigeria to help tackle threats to Nigeria’s security and to address the underlying causes of instability which exist within Nigeria. We do not assess that there is institutionalised persecution of the Igbo or any other peoples by the Nigerian authorities.We are not aware of any patterns of land confiscation in Nigeria by the Nigerian Government. Nigeria does face the challenge of inter-communal violence between farmers and herdsmen over land, farming rights, grazing routes and access to water. We are aware that the Nigerian legislature is currently debating a bill on grazing routes and reserves for Nigerian herdsmen. Part of that debate focuses on balancing the rights of land owners with the requirements of herder communities.Through our development assistance the UK supports initiatives to reduce these conflicts and build bridges between communities. We will continue to work with the Nigerian Government, non-governmental organisations and civil society to improve the security situation and human rights for all the people of Nigeria.

Malawi: Oil

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with (a) UK companies and (b) the Malawian government on oil exploration around Lake Malawi.

James Duddridge: Our High Commissioner to Malawi met a representative of UK oil exploration firm Surestream, who are now a minority shareholder of an exploration licence for one of the oil exploration blocks in Lake Malawi, on 29 February. Last month the High Commissioner also discussed with the Malawi Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining his desire for assistance to develop legislation and agreements that would conform to global good governance standards and protect Malawi's national interests.

Mozambique: Politics and Government

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Mozambique and  tensions between that country's opposition party's militia and state security forces.

Mr Philip Hammond: There has been an increase in tension in Mozambique, including continuing clashes between state security forces and the opposition militia in the central provinces. We are also concerned by incidents of intimidation, kidnapping and assassinations, which may be politically motivated. We continue to urge both the government and opposition to address these tensions through dialogue and peaceful means. This is all the more important against a difficult macroeconomic context that is further affected by drought in central and southern provinces and the revelation this month of undisclosed lending, which puts an already weak economy at risk.

Bangladesh: Freedom of Expression

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of freedom of speech for (a) bloggers and (b) other people in Bangladesh.

Mr Philip Hammond: Our assessment is that the rise in extremist attacks has increased pressure on free speech in Bangladesh. This is one of the reasons that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has named Bangladesh as one of its 30 Human Rights Priority Countries. The UK supports freedom of expression as both a fundamental right in itself and as an essential component of a full range of human rights. Ministers have unequivocally condemned the murders of secular online activists and minority groups, and called for free speech to be protected in Bangladesh. On Monday 25 April, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) said that he was deeply saddened by the senseless murders of Xulhaz Mannan, Tanay Fahim and Rezaul Karim Siddique and called for the killers to be brought to justice. On 9 April, following the brutal murder of Nasimuddin Samad, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) restated the Government’s position that the right to freedom of expression and open debate in Bangladesh must be upheld.

Macedonia: Politics and Government

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of implications for democracy and the rule of law in Macedonia of the recent presidential pardon for politicians in that country.

Mr Philip Hammond: As the Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) made clear in a public statement on 14 April, we are deeply concerned by President Ivanov’s decision to pardon those individuals currently under investigation in Macedonia over allegations of abuse of power. The decision protects those officials and former Ministers accused of corruption and denies justice to the people of Macedonia. Functioning rule of law means that all people must be held legally accountable for their actions and allegations fully investigated. We, together with international partners, have urged President Ivanov to reverse his decision and we have raised wider concerns about the credibility of forthcoming elections and the level of commitment to the democratic process with former Prime Minister and leader of the governing party VMRO, Nikola Gruevski.

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last made representations to the Chinese government on the fate of the Panchen Lama; and what response he received to such representations.

Mr Hugo Swire: As I said in my answer to PQ12772 on 29 October last year, we urge China to ensure that the restrictions on the Panchen Lama’s freedom of movement and communication are lifted, so that he may select the career, education or religious life of his choosing, wherever he is. We most recently raised the matter at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in 2014. We had no substantive response but the Chinese authorities stated in September 2015 that the Panchen Lama was “leading a normal life”. We will raise the matter again at the next round of the Human Rights Dialogue later this year.

China: Journalism

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Chinese government on the safety of British journalists working in China.

Mr Hugo Swire: We remain concerned by the harassment and detention of journalists in China. We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to respect and protect freedom of expression and association, in line with its constitution and the international frameworks to which China is a party. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised this issue with the Chinese Foreign Minister earlier this year. Specifically, he expressed his disappointment at the unacceptable treatment of journalists, including those from the UK, outside the court during the trial of Pu Zhiqiang. I raised the same issue with Vice Minister Cheng Fengxiang, of the Chinese Communist Party International Liaison Department, in December 2015. The latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights report highlights further concerns over the treatment of some journalists in China (including foreign journalists).

China: Human Rights

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what beneficial shifts in the human rights approach of the Chinese government there have been as a result of steps taken by his Department.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the Hon. Member to the 2015 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The report, published on 21 April, is available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-rights-and-democracy-report-2015

Tibet

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to enable (a) EU diplomats and (b) journalists to enter Tibet.

Mr Hugo Swire: We support access to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) for EU diplomats and a number have recently been granted access. The Ambassador of Denmark was the most recent high-level visitor in April and other senior EU diplomats, including from the UK, are planning a joint visit in 2016. For its part, the UK has a standing request to visit but, as we note in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, China did not accept our requests in 2015. We also support access to the TAR for journalists. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China reports that approximately three-quarters of journalists had their application to visit Tibet denied in 2015. We consistently raise the issue of access to the TAR and media freedom in the annual UK-China human rights dialogue.

Tibet: Visits Abroad

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when (a) a minister and (b) officials in his Department last visited the area described by the Chinese government as the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Mr Hugo Swire: The Hon. Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) was the last serving Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), in September 2009. An FCO official last visited the TAR in June 2014. We continue to press the Chinese authorities for further access.

Bangladesh: LGBT People

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on LGBT rights in Bangladesh of the murder of Xulhaz Mannan in Dhaka.

Mr Hugo Swire: Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. On Monday 25 April I said publicly that I was deeply saddened by the senseless murders of Xulhaz Mannan and Tanay Fahim and called for the killers to be brought to justice. Same sex relations in Bangladesh are illegal, however the Foreign and Commonwealth Office work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. In 2015 we funded a project promoting social justice and dignity for LGBT groups in Bangladesh.

Asia: Climate Change

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the climate threat arising from Chinese activities affecting the third pole region.

James Duddridge: Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department of Energy and Climate Change have not discussed this issue. However, the Tibet Society has been in contact with China Department about a report they produced on the Tibetan Plateau.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to encourage progress towards the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Israel: Palestinians

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to discourage the commemoration of acts of violence against Israeli civilians in the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid doing anything to encourage violence or any steps which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem regularly raises such concerns with the Palestinian leadership, including with President Abbas at their last meeting in March. We continue to support Palestinian calls to reinstate the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of Palestinian or Israeli incitement.

Polisario Front

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to engage with the Polisaria Front; and if he or Ministers of his Department will meet senior Polisario Front officials.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Government officials engage with the Polisario Front regularly, most recently on 16 March in London. We regard the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute, but not all Sahrawis consider it to be their representative. Therefore the UK Government does not regard the Polisario Front as representing all Sahrawis. Because of this, Ministers do not meet Polisario Front members.

Polisario Front

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on recognition of the Polisario Front as the representative of the people of Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Government officials engage with the Polisario Front regularly, most recently on 16 March in London. We regard the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute, but not all Sahrawis consider it to be their representative. Therefore the UK Government does not regard the Polisario Front as representing all Sahrawis. Because of this, Ministers do not meet Polisario Front members.

Soulieman Marouf

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library copies of all departmental documents relating to the lifting of EU sanctions from Suleiman Marouf in August 2013.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: All decisions to designate and lift EU listings are made by the EU Council. The underlying evidence to support a designation or propose a delisting is made available to the Council and held on file.The Council decides collectively on the sharing of information externally. Member States are bound by a duty of professional secrecy with respect to Council documents unless they have been made publicly available, as set out in the Council's Rules of Procedure. In this case, they have not been made public.Professional secrecy maintains non-disclosure of the identity of the proposing Member State and limits the scope for third countries to play divide and rule with the EU's sanctions policy.

Islamic State

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will establish a treatment programme to support the rehabilitation of young Yazidi and other women.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is committed to supporting the victims of Daesh’s brutality. Through our Human Rights and Democracy Fund we are supporting a project that offers survivors of sexual violence, including from the Yezidi community, access to health and psychiatric support. This project plans to reach 2,400 women across Erbil, Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk and Zakho. We have also translated the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict into Kurdish, to build further the capacity of Kurdish human rights, justice and healthcare professionals to respond to and document these crimes.We are providing £750,000 to help implement Iraq’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to support women’s involvement in conflict resolution and the response to gender-based violence. More widely, the UK is providing £79.5 million to the humanitarian response in Iraq. This assistance is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including the most vulnerable groups, such as Yezidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the government of Morocco on the holding of a free and fair referendum on the governance of Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara: Peacekeeping Operations

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government is making to the UN on incorporating a human rights mandate into the renewal of the UN peacekeeping force in Western Sahara.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are not advocating that the United Nations Security Council pursue the incorporation of human rights monitoring as part of the MINURSO mandate. The international community monitors human rights through other means; there was a technical visit by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in April 2015, a visit by the UN’s Independent Expert on Human Rights in January 2016 and there is an upcoming visit of the Special Rapporteur on Torture.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions his Department has requested access to post-activity operational reports of air strikes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 27 April 2016 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, when he expects the government of Saudi Arabia to publish its inquiry into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 27 April 2016 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, how many final reports his Department has received from the Saudi government's independent investigation committee on alleged breaches of international humanitarian law to date in Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Syria: Refugees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of (a) Syrian refugees being shot whilst attempting to cross Turkish borders and (b) numbers of Syrians being deported by Turkey to Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to the response the Minister of State, my noble Friend, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, gave in the other place on 27 April 2016. (HL7793) http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=hl7793

Britain Stronger in Europe: Correspondence

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish details of all the correspondence between his Department and the Britain Stronger in Europe Campaign since 1 September 2015.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Israel: Bedouin

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli government on allegations that that government is withholding services for Bedouins who reside in the West Bank and in Israel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. We have supported Bedouin communities in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to Rabbis for Human Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) legal aid programme. In regards to situation and demolitions of Bedouin villages in green-line Israel such as Umm al-Hiran, a solution must respect the equality of all Israel’s citizens.

Libya: Islamic State

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proposals the Government has made in co-operation with the French and Italian governments to the Libyan government on military intervention against Daesh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is committed to taking action to prevent Daesh from using Libya as a base from which to plan and carry out attacks.We are working closely with the new Libyan government and international partners, including France and Italy, to develop a comprehensive approach to defeating it.As the Foreign Secretary set out in his statement on 19 April, we have discussed, on a contingency basis, with international partners how best to support the new Libyan government. This could include training Libyan security forces to provide their own security. Any support would be in response to a clear request made by the Libyan Government. So far they have made no such request. We have been clear that there are no UK Government plans for the deployment of combat troops to Libya.

Attorney General

Antisemitism

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were prosecuted for offences relating to anti-semitism in the UK in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The Whilst the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does flag cases on its case management system that are identified as racial or religious hate crimes, it does not maintain a central record of prosecutions for offences specifically relating to anti-semitism. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Iron and Steel

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what meetings he has initiated on steel in the last two years.

Anna Soubry: It is an established convention that Ministers of one Administration cannot see the documents of a previous Administration. I am therefore unable to provide the information requested by the hon Member for the entire period given in his Question. I first met with Gareth Stace on 01 June 2015 and discussions with steel industry stakeholders continued thereafter to identify the policy priorities for dealing with the considerable challenges facing the sector. We convened a Steel Summit on 16 October 2015 which brought together all the major stakeholders, including key Government and industry participants as well as constituency MPs, recognising the significant part steel companies play in local communities. This led to the formation of three Ministerial Working Groups which took the lead on our efforts to deliver on the five key ‘Asks’ put to us by our partners in the steel industry. To ensure a sustainable future we set up the Steel Council, co-chaired by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, to build on the achievements of the three previous Ministerial working groups, by looking at the longer term future of the sector and how we can strengthen the capability and competiveness of the UK steel industry both at home and globally. The Council met for the first time on 2 March. Since this Government took office, BIS Ministers have undertaken a number of visits to steel-producing sites across the UK, including: SSI Redcar; Tata Steel facilities at Port Talbot, Scunthorpe and Rotherham; Celsa in Cardiff and the former-Tata Steel site at Motherwell recently re-opened by Liberty Steel. To date we have made significant progress in addressing the challenges faced by the industry, including: Paying compensation towards their energy costs: the Steel industry has received £80m in compensation since 2013;Exempting the steel industry from renewable energy policy costs passed through in energy bills: this will save the steel industry hundreds of £millions over the course of this parliament.Securing flexibility over EU emissions regulations.Making sure that social and economic factors can be taken into account when Government procures steel;Continuing to tackle unfair trading practices at an EU and an International level.

Iron and Steel

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff at (a) St Paul's Place, Sheffield and (b) 1 Victoria Street, London work on steel policy.

Anna Soubry: There are currently over 80 BIS members of staff working on steel policy. Around 75 are based in 1 Victoria Street, London and 3 at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield. A number of other staff are involved to a greater or lesser extent dependent on need.

Nursing: Training

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many places were awarded on nursing degrees at each institution in each of the last 5 years.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The attached table shows the number of entrants to full-time undergraduate courses at English HEIs who were studying nursing, split by institution, for the last 5 academic years.Reforms to the funding of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals (AHP) courses will enable universities to create more training places by the end of this Parliament, allowing more students to study for a health degree.



Entrants to Nursing Courses by Institution
(Excel SpreadSheet, 31 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

Joseph Johnson: All future digital services, including online forms, will follow the Government Digital Service design principles. Our approach to personal data is to require the information that is relevant for the transaction.

Apprentices: Hearing Impairment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33376, by what date his Department plans to decide on whether British Sign Language is an acceptable alternative to qualifications in English for the purposes of completing an apprenticeship.

Nick Boles: We are considering whether British Sign Language could be an acceptable alternative to qualifications in English for the purposes of completing an apprenticeship. We will provide an update about this matter before summer recess.

Students: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 April 2016, HCWS701, what estimate he has made of the number of students affected by the proposed changes to eligibility to student support for people with long residency in the UK.

Joseph Johnson: We estimated at the time of proposing the changes that they could lead to an additional 2,400 claims for student support in the first year after the changes take effect. This estimate was derived from information on those people who had non-asylum discretionary leave to remain and had applied for student support. However, we do not have information on the length of time these individuals have been in the UK or their age. It is therefore not possible to determine exactly how many of these individuals would meet the criteria in the new rules.

Students: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 April 2016, HCWS701, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the proposed changes to eligibility to student support for people with long residency in the UK.

Joseph Johnson: From 2016/17, the average student loan outlay for each additional student eligible for student finance is estimated to be between £15,000 and £17,000 depending on the household income of the students. Students could also be eligible for an average of £300 of support for allowances such as the Disabled Students Allowance. An additional 2,400 students, as estimated, could lead to around £40m in loan outlay and £0.7m in allowances annually. In RAB terms, the annual costs for 2,400 students could be £10m.

Apprentices: Disability

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the oral contribution of 25 April 2016, Official Report, column 1131, which groups he (a) has met with and (b) plans to meet with to discuss the importance of apprenticeships and other technical education for young people with disabilities.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Iron and Steel: China

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the dumping of Chinese steel in the UK at below-market prices.

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has made to the EU on the dumping of cheap Chinese steel in western European markets.

Anna Soubry: Responsibility for anti-dumping investigations and imposing anti-dumping measures against imports into the EU and the UK lies with the European Commission. These investigations are driven by requests from EU producers. The Government makes regular representations to the Commission concerning allegations of dumping of steel. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister pressed for more action on dumping of steel at European Council on 17 and 18 March. The government judges each anti-dumping case on its merits, based on the evidence presented by the Commission and on representations from interested parties, including producers, users and importers, but is strongly in favour of effective trade defences to tackle unfair trade practices where justified. We have voted in favour of anti-dumping measures on several steel products since July, including the imposition of provisional anti-dumping measures on reinforcing bar in January, an investigation for which we lobbied the Commission successfully, and on cold-rolled flat steel products in February. We have supported industry calls for higher duties on specific cases where this is justified by the evidence. For example, in the reinforcing bar case we have raised the steel industry’s concerns that the provisional duties were too low with the Commission. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills spoke with Trade Commissioner Malmström about this and received assurances that the Commission will reconsider this during the definitive stage of the investigation, if industry can provide the necessary evidence. We also welcomed the opening of four new anti-dumping investigations involving steel products earlier this year. The government continues to push the Commission for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel. This was one of the conclusions of the Extraordinary Competitiveness Council on Steel in November, a meeting which my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills was instrumental in convening. In advance of the Commission’s energy-intensive industry stakeholder’s summit on 15 February – another key action from the Competitiveness Council – the government and several other EU Member States sent a joint letter to the Commission, pressing it to make full and timely use of all trade defence instruments to tackle unfair trade. I played an active role at this summit. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has also raised these issues in discussions with Commissioner Malmström, most recently at the OECD conference on the challenges facing the steel industry on 18 April. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister for Intellectual Property reiterated the need for faster and more effective action on dumping at the Competitiveness Council held on 29 February and the Presidency conclusions of that Council reflected this message. I did likewise at the European Steel Day on 21 April. Officials also have regular discussions about anti-dumping cases with Commission officials and officials from other EU Member States. The Government is also supporting a robust discussion of the issue of overcapacity through the EU’s ongoing dialogue with the Chinese and other governments, including at the OECD conference. My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has discussed this issue directly with President Xi and was told that China will take steps to reduce its overcapacity. My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer also raised it during his visit to China in February and My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills raised it with his counterpart in February. Similarly, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised it during his visit to China in April.

Energy: Industry

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make a comparative assessment of energy costs for heavy industry in the UK and in other EU countries.

Anna Soubry: UK industrial gas prices are among the lowest in Europe, while electricity prices are among the highest. Industrial energy use overall is split relatively evenly between electricity, gas and other fuels. We are addressing the fundamental causes of the UK’s relatively high electricity costs, through: Short-term cost control measures, including the Levy Control Framework actions on solar and onshore wind, announced in summer 2015;Longer term measures including investment in new energy infrastructure (such as nuclear); and interconnection with French, Belgian and Norwegian networks which should help to reduce the difference between the electricity prices here and in Continental Europe.

Comet Group

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish a summary of the findings of the Insolvency Service's inquiry into the collapse of Comet.

Anna Soubry: The Insolvency Service investigated Comet under provisions of the Companies Act, which means it is not possible to publish the report. However, I can confirm that, after careful consideration of the facts obtained in this investigation, it has been decided that no further enforcement action will be taken at this time.

British Nationals Abroad: Income

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many UK citizens living in other EU countries, excluding Ireland, derived incomes from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not available.

Redundancy

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure the protective award is made to employees made redundant who worked across several establishments within one business.

Nick Boles: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has no power to make a protective award to employees; the decision to make a protective award lies with the Employment Tribunal. The Employment Tribunal considers the facts of each case and decides whether to make a protective award, and if so, which employees are eligible, based on the circumstances of each case presented to it.

Comet Group

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been paid out by his Department in statutory entitlements as a result of the collapse of Comet; how many people have been so compensated to date; and what estimate he has made of the total cost to the Exchequer of meeting all arising liabilities in this case.

Anna Soubry: The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service has paid out a total of £23,687,320.37 in statutory entitlements to 4,918 former employees of Comet Group Plc. It is not possible at present to estimate the total cost to the Exchequer of meeting all liabilities in this case. Further payments will depend on the findings of the Employment Tribunal regarding the employees covered by the protective award judgment, and any associated costs. Consideration of this matter is ongoing and expected to be resolved this year.

Redundancy

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on redundancy to specify that the word establishment applies to a whole business rather than an individual working environment.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Apprentices: Degrees

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of people taking degree apprenticeships by the 2019-20 academic year.

Nick Boles: Degree Apprenticeships are designed by groups of employers working with higher education institutions and will be driven by employer demand. We therefore do not have an estimate of the number that will be delivered by 2019/20, but believe that they provide a valuable route for people to obtain a degree-level qualification alongside training for a career, with the prospect of a job from day one.

Companies: Registration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many companies have disclosed information to Companies House on persons with significant control in their company as part of their company register since that requirement came into force on 6 April 2016.

Anna Soubry: The requirement for companies to have a register of people with significant control was commenced on 6 April. However, the requirement to disclose this information to the Registrar does not commence until 30 June 2016. In most cases companies will deliver this annually with their Confirmation Statement, which replaces the Annual Return.

Redundancy

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will extend the protective award to employees made redundant at a company which dismisses more than 20 people across the organisation but fewer than 20 people in individual working environments.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Austin Reed Group

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of Austin Reed entering administration on the UK economy.

Anna Soubry: The announcement that Austin Reed has entered administration will be worrying for all those affected. Administrators will be focusing on securing a buyer for the business and we are following the situation closely.

Business: Education

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the implementation of Shaping University Curricula to Critical Infrastructure Employer Needs.

Joseph Johnson: The Government actively encourages collaboration between universities and business to ensure course content meets the needs of employers, including those responsible for critical infrastructure. Higher Education Institutions, as autonomous bodies, are independent from the Government and are responsible for the implementation of SUCCEED.

Redundancy

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the statutory obligation for employers to consult appropriate representatives of employees being made redundant when that employer dismisses fewer than 20 people at an establishment.

Nick Boles: The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation in relation to collective redundancies and existing thresholds for employers to consult with employee representatives nor in the treatment of ‘establishment’. The existing threshold balances such consultation rights of employees with the need for businesses to be able to restructure effectively to respond to changing market conditions.

Adult Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing adult education courses over the next five years.

Nick Boles: The skills funding letter published in December 2015 sets out priorities and funding for adult education over the next 5 years. Across all of the funding streams used to support adult education participation, we are increasing funding by 40% in cash terms. It is for colleges and private providers, working with their local areas, to decide how best to use that funding in the interests of the learners and employers they serve.A full copy of the funding letter can be viewed via - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-letter-april-2016-to-march-2017.

Apprentices: Taxation

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the technology used for the digital voucher system for accessing funds from the apprenticeship levy will allow companies to direct unused funds to smaller companies in their supply chains.

Nick Boles: In the first year of the levy, employers will be able to use funds in their levy account to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment of their own employees. We know that some employers will want to use funds in their digital account to pay for apprenticeship training of other employer’s apprentices, for example, someone in their supply chain. We will make an assessment of the pros and cons of any approach, including the trade-offs with other design choices, before providing further information in June.

Land Registry: Privatisation

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much has been spent by his Department on the services of consultancy firms relating to proposals to privatise the Land Registry.

Anna Soubry: We will publish details of the expenditure on advisers once a transaction is completed. Given that the privatisation of the Land Registry would be a significant commercial transaction for Government, it is expected that the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee will scrutinise fees incurred as part of any review into the conduct of the transaction. This is the normal process of scrutiny for major Government asset sales.

Driverless Vehicles: Lasers

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34542, whether his Department has made an assessment of risks from lasers; and how he plans to use the General Product Safety Regulations to ensure the safe use of lasers in driverless cars.

Anna Soubry: The Government, via Public Health England, has made an assessment of the health risks posed by different classes of lasers, and as a result my Department has advised Trading Standards to use their powers under the General Product Safety Regulations to remove laser pointers higher than Class 2 from sale.However, we are also aware that there is a second risk from the intentional directing of a laser at aviation (and other modes of transport) so as to dazzle or distract the pilot (or driver).This is a cross-Whitehall issue and we are working with other departments to address it, including looking at legislative options. However, the practical implementation of the General Product Safety Regulations is a matter for Local Authority Trading Standards.

Living Wage

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to discourage employers from cutting staff benefits on the grounds that implementing the national living wage compels them to do so.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Apprentices: Taxation

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the apprenticeship levy on employer sponsored degrees.

Nick Boles: We are committed to reforming higher and further education so that people are able to choose the next step that is right for them and employers get the skills they need. Employer-sponsored degrees have benefits for students, employers, institutions and the taxpayer. There are many excellent examples in our universities, which employers and universities may continue to develop alongside degree apprenticeships. Only apprenticeships training will be funded by the levy and it will be for employers to determine exactly how they use their levy funds.

Overseas Students: Loans

Mr Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of (a) the outstanding student loan debt held by non-UK EU citizens, (b) the proportion of that debt that will be repaid and (c) the proportion of that debt that is outstanding.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspx At the end of the financial year 2014-15, the overall Higher Education English Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) loan balance outstanding was £64.7 billion. Of this, around 1.5% (£958 million) was held by EU domiciled borrowers. Between 75% and 80% of the total value of loans from borrowers of all domiciles are expected to be repaid. An estimate for loans to EU domiciled borrowers is not available. Borrowers do not have to repay until they are earning over the relevant repayment threshold. Repayment is income contingent at 9% of any income over the repayment threshold. SLC has arrangements in place to collect repayments from borrowers who move away from the UK; SLC establishes a 12 month repayment schedule based on the borrower’s income and provides information on the methods of repayment available. SLC sets up fixed repayment schedules for borrowers who do not remain in contact and will place those borrowers in arrears. Further action, including legal action, can then be taken to secure recovery. European Commission regulations allow the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.

Overseas Students: Loans

Mr Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the total liability was for student debt acquired by non-UK citizens in each of the last 10 years; and what the outstanding arrears was of such debt in each of those years.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English loans to EU domiciled borrowers are published annually by SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspx Information on the loan balance held by EU domiciled borrowers that are liable for repayment and in arrears at the end of each of the financial years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 can be found in table 1 of the SFR. The information for the financial years prior to this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Institute for Apprenticeships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers on the nature of their involvement with and contribution to the Institute of Apprenticeships.

Nick Boles: I will be meeting with the incoming CEO of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers later this month. My officials have regular discussions with the Association on all aspects of apprenticeships policy.

Higher Education Funding Council for England and Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with other government departments on the future roles of HEFCE and the Quality Assurance Agency.

Joseph Johnson: The Government published a Green Paper ‘Fulfilling our Potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice’ on 6 November 2015. This set out our proposals to drive up the quality of teaching in higher education, and for simplifying the higher education regulatory landscape with a higher education regulator that has the student interest at its core. The consultation closed on 15 January 2016 and we received over 600 responses. In developing both the Green Paper and our response to the consultation, we have consulted extensively across the sector and continue to do so. No decisions have yet been taken and the Government will issue its response in due course.

Higher Education Funding Council for England

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Further Education Act 1992 gives HEFCE current statutory responsibility for degree standards.

Joseph Johnson: The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 enables the Privy Council to bestow degree awarding powers on institutions which provide higher education, and foundation degree awarding powers on institutions within the further education sector. The Privy Council bestows these powers upon the advice of the Secretary of State who, in turn, obtains information and advice from HEFCE and the Quality Assurance Agency. HEFCE’s role in this process is explained in government guidance. Guidance for foundation degrees is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foundation-degree-awarding-powers. Guidance for other degrees can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taught-and-research-degree-awarding-powers

Institute for Apprenticeships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what role he plans that further education providers and colleges will have in the governance and delivery of the Institute of Apprenticeships.

Nick Boles: The Board of the Institute will be comprised primarily of employers, business leaders and their representatives to ensure that employers continue to drive apprenticeship quality at the highest level. The Institute will also be able to draw on the expertise of education providers, colleges and others in the exercise of its functions.

Apprentices: Taxation

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what metrics he plans to use to measure the contribution which the apprenticeship levy will make to economic productivity.

Nick Boles: We will evaluate the apprenticeship levy contribution to productivity as part of our wider programme of apprenticeships evaluation. This includes assessing what impact on apprenticeship starts and quality the levy has had, as well as evaluating wage returns of those who have completed apprenticeships. The research paper cited below outlines current evidence on, and the associated methodology used to measure, the economic value of apprenticeships. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-measuring-the-net-present-value-in-england

Apprentices

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will set a target for apprenticeship completion rates by the end of this Parliament.

Nick Boles: Apprenticeship completions are monitored closely by the Skills Funding Agency. There are minimum levels of performance for individual providers. We have already taken action to increase the quality of apprenticeships; including introducing a minimum duration and ensuring that all apprenticeships are real jobs. We are continuing to go further by giving employers the opportunity to design rigorous new apprenticeships with end point assessments and by establishing the Institute for Apprenticeships. We will continue to focus on quality as much as on quantity, but do not intend to set a separate target for apprenticeship completion rates.

Arms Trade: Exports

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on how many occasions his Department has (a) not granted and (b) suspended an arms export licence having concluded that there was a risk of breaches of international humanitarian law by the purchasing company in each of the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry: Criterion 2c of the Government’s export licensing Criteria states that the Government will not grant a licence if there is a “clear risk” that the items might be used in the commission of a “serious violation” of international humanitarian law (IHL). Criterion 2c has been in force since the adoption by the EU of Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP on 8 December 2008. Since that time 256 Standard Individual Export Licence applications have been refused under Criterion 2 which covers human rights as well as international humanitarian law.Unfortunately it is not possible to determine which, if any, licences were refused specifically under C2c without examining the case file for each individual application and this could only be done at disproportionate cost. No extant export licences have been suspended under Criterion C2c.

Department for International Development

Burma: Internally Displaced People

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department is providing funding or other support for the resettlement and new housing for internally displaced people in Kachin State, Burma.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID has provided over £18 million in humanitarian and health assistance to conflict-affected people in Kachin and Northern Shan States since 2011, and expects to spend a further £4.9 million this year. We coordinate our assistance with other donors. Other donors have historically supported housing for displaced people. Currently our assessment is that conditions for large-scale return or voluntary resettlement are not present in the absence of a ceasefire and steps towards a peace agreement. We would expect to provide support to return and voluntary resettlement when the political situation permits.

Developing Countries: Equality

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work her Department is carrying out using its funding priorities to encourage gender equality around the world.

Mr Nick Hurd: Promoting the rights of girls and women is a priority for the UK’s development programme. The UK Aid strategy states that ‘Throughout all its development spending, the government will continue to prioritise the needs of girls and women, which has been fundamental to the UK’s approach to development’ (para 3.2.1).DFID’s Strategic Vision for Girls and Women (published in 2011, refreshed in 2013) sets out how UK Aid is being used to unlock the potential of girls and women, to stop poverty before it starts. To reinforce this, the Gender Equality Act was passed in the UK law on 13th May 2014. Through the Act there is a legal requirement to consider, before providing development assistance and alongside other considerations, how the assistance will contribute to reducing gender inequality.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding priorities her Department has in Bangladesh.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Our priorities in Bangladesh reflect those of the wider UKAid Strategy:Strengthening peace, security and governanceBuilding Bangladesh’s resilience to climate change and strengthening disaster preparednessTackling extreme poverty, in both rural and urban areas and improving the quality of education and health servicesPromoting economic prosperity and inclusive growth, ensuring that no one in Bangladesh is left behind.Running through all of these priorities is a commitment across all of our work to support women’s empowerment and addressing early marriage, promoting voice and choice for all girls

Developing Countries: Deserts

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has had discussions with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew on the potential role of that organisation in advising the UN and other institutions on desertification.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK Government maintains a close dialogue with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew on tackling international environmental and conservation issues, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) leading HMG’s relationship with Kew. As a world leading organisation and a holder of the Red List for Plant species, Kew Gardens is already providing valuable information which supports action on desertification, including work by the UN in relation to the Global Goal indicators. Kew Gardens has received funding from the UK government’s Darwin Initiative to improve understanding of the link between conservation and poverty alleviation.

Africa: Deserts

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department is offering advice to African countries on desertification.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID supports the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) which has had a strong impact on raising awareness of land degradation in Africa. The UK will hold the EU Presidency during the next UNCCD Conference of Parties and will champion the achievement of the land degradation targets agreed within the 2015 Global Goals.DFID supports countries on desertification through our forestry and resilience work. For example the Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) programme works with farmers in the Sahel on better natural resource management and regeneration. DFID also provides support to the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration, through the International Forestry Knowledge programme (KNOWFOR), to help operationalise the ambitious targets of the Bonn Challenge. KNOWFOR helps countries assess the potential for restoration in their countries, developing tools and carrying out a range of analyses to support decision making, planning and attracting financing. 11 countries in Africa have so far pledged restoration targets (including Niger, Rwanda, Uganda, DRC and Ethiopia); the demand is growing as countries see the potential adaptation as well as mitigation benefits of restoring degraded land.

Africa: Female Genital Mutilation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department allocated to schemes that tackle female genital mutilation in (a) Egypt, (b) Sudan, (c) Mali, (d) Somalia, (e) Sierra Leone and (f) Guinea.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID has a regional programme which is providing up to £35 million to end FGM in 17 high prevalence countries including Egypt, Sudan, Mali, Somalia and Guinea. This programme works in a flexible manner across borders.DFID’s regional programme is complemented by a £12 million country programme in Sudan to support the scale up of initiatives to end FGM. In Somalia, a new £10 million programme is aimed at improving women’s participation in decision-making and tackling harmful social norms including FGM.

Overseas Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that programmes implemented are cost-effective.

Mr Nick Hurd: Each DFID project is rigorously appraised before approval to establish value for money. During implementation, projects are measured against a robust monitoring framework through mandatory annual reviews to ensure they remain cost effective. The results of these annual reviews are scored by the managing team and are then monitored through regular management information reports to management and Ministers. DFID is also committed to generating high quality evidence through independent evaluations which address relevant questions for policy and programming, including the cost- effectiveness of programmes.We take decisions to exit underperforming programmes and redirect resources into those that deliver poverty reduction and value for money for taxpayers.

Syria: Refugees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding of the Syria Relief Network's survey of refugees that only a third of Syrian child refugees currently attend school; what assistance her Department is providing to ensure that more Syrian child refugees receive an education; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The UK, alongside UNICEF, has led the No Lost Generation Initiative (NLGI), which supports education for children in Syria and the region. We have allocated £122 million to NLGI since the start of the crisis, providing formal and non-formal education for hundreds of thousands of children in the region. We have improved early grade education, provided non-formal education and counselling in Jordan, and boosted formal, non-formal and catch-up education for underserved children in Lebanon. Our programmes provided catch-up classes in essential subjects for more than 160,000 inside Syria, and textbooks for more than 350,000 in Lebanon.In February we hosted the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London, where participants agreed that all 1.7 million refugee and vulnerable children in countries neighbouring Syria will be in quality education by the end of 2016/2017 school year. DFID committed to increase funding on education in Jordan and Lebanon to £240 million up to 2020/2021 and is currently designing new programmes, aligned behind national education plans, to help deliver these ambitious goals.

Middle East: Islamic State

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of ISIL on migration flows in the Middle East.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The appalling violence that Daesh inflicts is a contributory factor to migration both within and from the Middle East. There are 13.5 million vulnerable and displaced people inside Syria, and over 4.8 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring counties. That is why the UK has pledged over £2.3 billion to Syria and the region, the largest ever UK response to a humanitarian crisis.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to assist humanitarian relief in Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Yemen is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The UK is the fourth largest donor having more than doubled our commitment to £85m in 2015-16. We have so far helped more than 1.3m Yemenis, providing food, medical supplies, water and emergency shelter to those most in need.

Developing Countries: Hygiene and Sanitation

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the most vulnerable people in developing countries have access to adequate hygiene and sanitation.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID is committed to reaching 60 million people with water and sanitation by 2020. We reached 62.9 million people between 2011 and 2015. Improving hygiene is central to our programming. We are the largest bilateral donor for basic water and sanitation in low-income countries.

Overseas Aid

Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures she has put in place to improve ministerial oversight of aid programmes.

Justine Greening: I have introduced more stringent ministerial sign off controls and this is backed up by thorough monitoring and evaluation processes and management information to better identify underperforming programmes so they can be dealt with.

Department for Education

Free Schools

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of new free schools' capacity to meet pupil place demand in 2016-17.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of free schools that have participated in local authority pupil place planning in each of the last three years.

Edward Timpson: Data reported at May 2015 showed that local authorities (LAs) already had plans in place to deliver more than 80,000 new places in 2016/17, and we know many more will have been planned and delivered since then, including through central programmes. Free schools can play an important part in helping LAs meet place pressures, and every free school has been opened in response to either the need to provide extra school places, the need to provide parents with greater choice or the need to provide more high quality school places. 85% of mainstream free schools approved since January 2014 are in areas where there was a basic need for additional school places. An additional group of schools were approved on the basis of more up-to-date LA data on future need for places and where section 106 agreements suggest need related to new housing developments. There are currently 117 mainstream free schools in the pipeline. Many local authorities are recognising the opportunity that the free schools programme provides and are encouraging new and existing high quality education providers to apply to set up a new school in their area. We encourage all local authorities to do likewise.

Educational Psychology

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of publicly employed educational psychologists who will retire in the next five years.

Edward Timpson: The estimated number of educational psychologists who will retire in the next five years is outlined in table 1. This is based on the number of educational psychologists registered to work in England, collated by the Health and Care Professions Council[1]. The data is for the workforce as a whole and does not distinguish between where educational psychologists are working.Table 1 The estimated number of educational psychologists who will retire and the number of newly qualified who will enter the profession, in the next five years.Year20162017201820192020Number reaching retirement age (65)8494979695Newly qualified entering the profession127[2]128131150150Source: Health and Care Professions Council (2015) and NCTL (2016) [1] Health and Care professions Council www.hcpc-uk.co.uk[2] This may increase to 132 depending on the number of deferral / maternity leave trainee who re-join the course in year three.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities have completed the task of transferring all statements of special educational needs to Education, Health and Care Plans to date; and what assessment she has made of whether the deadline of 2017 will be met by all local authorities.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of school pupils aged 18 or under had either a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan in each of the last five years.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with (a) a Statement of Special Education Needs and (b) Education, Health and Care Plans were educated at home in each of the last five years.

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils who had either a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan were excluded from schools in England in each of the last five years.

Edward Timpson: The transition period from statements to Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) runs until April 2018. Every local authority has published an individual Local Transition Plan setting out the timings for transfers to the new system. We are monitoring local authority progress and published figures about transition up to January 2015, returned by local authorities, in the Special Educational Needs in England Statistical First Release of May 2015[1]. We will publish the figures up to January 2016 in May 2016. The Department does not collect information on the number of children who are home educated. Some local authorities choose to maintain registers so that parents can voluntarily register children being educated at home. The number and proportion of school pupils who had a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an EHCP in each of the last five years is as follows:x20112012201320142015Pupils with statements or EHCPs224,210226,125229,390232,190236,165Pupils on roll8,123,8658,178,2008,249,8108,331,3858,438,145Incidence (%)2.82.82.82.82.8[2] The number of permanent and fixed period exclusions received by pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs in each of the last five years for which data is available is as follows:x2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/14Fixed period exclusions37,14036,74035,64032,21033,190Permanent exclusions420430380330330[3] [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-exclusions

Educational Psychology

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority educational psychology services are trading their services.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect information on how many local authority educational psychology services are trading their services.

Educational Psychology

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many current advertised vacancies there are in local authority educational psychology services.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect information on the current advertised vacancies in local educational psychology service. This information is collected by an external organisation, the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP). The AEP are the main advertiser of educational psychology posts in England and send us their figures, on a monthly basis. This information is broken down by the total number of educational psychology posts being advertised in the private and public sector. These figures could include other areas of the public sector that employ the profession such as schools and NHS services, as well as local educational psychology services, so we are unable to provide this information.

Schools: Uniforms

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the affordability to parents who need to purchase new school uniforms as schools change their status and introduce a different uniform.

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support is available to parents who are struggling to pay for school uniforms.

Nick Gibb: It is for the governing body to determine a school’s uniform policy, but the Department has issued best practice guidance for all schools on the need to give high priority to the consideration of cost for parents. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform. The guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring that uniform is widely available and affordable for parents. It sets out that governing bodies should be able to demonstrate that they have obtained the best value for money from suppliers, and that any savings negotiated with suppliers should be passed on to parents wherever possible. It also makes clear that compulsory branded items should be kept to a minimum; and that schools should avoid frequent changes to the uniform. Local authorities and academies have discretion within their budgets to provide school clothing grants or offer other help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship.In November 2014 the Chancellor and the Business Secretary launched ‘A better deal: Boosting competition to bring down bills for families and firms’ which set out concrete steps the Government is taking to secure rising living standards and create competitive business conditions for firms. This included tackling the cost of school uniforms. The Government wants to ensure that effective competition is used to drive better value for money and will therefore put existing best practice guidance for school uniform supply in England on a statutory footing. This will ensure that schools deliver the best value for parents by avoiding exclusivity arrangements unless regular competitions for suppliers are run.

Pre-school Education: Lancashire

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of new nursery staff in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire who will be affected by the new requirements for staff taking a Level 3 in childcare.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The requirements have been in effect since 2014 for individuals taking the level 3 Early Years Educator qualifications. The requirement for level 3 Early Years Educator staff to hold a GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above was introduced to make sure that new entrants to the workforce have the numeracy and literacy skills they need to operate in a level 3 role. Staff working in level 3 roles can have a range of responsibilities, all of which require them to be highly skilled and well-qualified. Level 3 staff are likely to work directly with children, and many will have additional responsibility as room leaders and some will lead and manage an entire childcare setting. The department holds national data on level 3 staff in the early years sector. We know excellent progress has been made over the past few years in which qualification levels have continued to rise. Between 2008 and 2013, the proportion of the 233,200 full day care staff with at least a level 3 qualification grew from 75% to 87%[1]. We are continuing to collect data on level 3 staff through the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey this year, and will collect data from 2016 in the Early Years Census. We have been talking to childcare employers and training organisations about early years qualifications. We want to continue to work with the sector to understand the challenges faced, and find ways to tackle these whilst ensuring a quality workforce remains. [1] Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2013

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what weighting her Department gives to deprivation as a factor affecting educational outcomes.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The department recognises that deprivation is a strong predictor of pupils’ future attainment and acts as a proxy for a range of barriers to educational success, including low aspiration for the future, low levels of parental education and special educational needs. Overcoming these barriers can create additional costs for schools as they seek to provide additional support. This is why we have committed to continuing the pupil premium at current rates for the duration of this Parliament. Worth £2.5bn this year, the pupil premium provides schools with significant extra funding to help disadvantaged pupils achieve their full potential. Since its introduction in 2011 the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed at age 11 and age 16, offering disadvantaged pupils a more prosperous future as adults. We are committed to introducing a national funding formula so that schools’ funding is matched fairly and consistently to need. In our recent consultation on the principles and building blocks of a national funding formula we proposed to include a deprivation factor. We will set out the detail of the formula in a second consultation, to be published later this year.

Teachers: Vacancies

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent teacher vacancies there are in (a) state-funded schools and (b) academies in (i) Tottenham constituency and (ii) Haringey local authority area; and how many such vacancies there were in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the number of vacancies for full-time teaching posts in (a) state-funded schools and (b) academies in (i) Tottenham constituency and (ii) Haringey local authority area in November 2012 to 2014. Figures are for provided for those schools which provided a return. Data for November 2015 will be available at the end June 2016.  November 2012November 2013November 2014 FT VacanciesFT VacanciesFT VacanciesState Funded Schools including Academies  Tottenham Constituency100Haringey LA111All Academies  Tottenham Constituency000Haringey LA101Source: School Workforce Census The information in the table was published in the underlying data as part of the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2014’ which is available at the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014

Teachers: Vacancies

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent teacher vacancies there were in London for teachers of (a) mathematics, (b) English and (c) science at (i) state-funded secondary schools and (ii) academies in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The information is not available in the format requested. The Department publishes statistics that show vacancy rates by subject in secondary schools. These statistics, however, include the number of full-time teaching posts that are either vacant or temporarily filled and are for England only. Estimates for the regions are not produced. This information, for England, is contained within Table 15 of the ‘School Workforce in England, November 2014’ statistical first release which is available at the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014 Our recent White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, sets out our plans to ensure that there are good teachers everywhere they are needed. This includes the launch of the National Teaching Service which will, by 2020, place up to 1,500 outstanding teachers and middle leaders in the schools that struggle most to recruit and retain good teachers.

Young People: Mental Health Services

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support young people with their mental health needs in the Stockport local authority area.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Good mental health and wellbeing is a key priority for the Department. We have high aspirations for all children and want them to be able to fulfil their potential both academically and in terms of their mental wellbeing. Schools can play an important role in supporting pupils with mental health issues. We want them to decide how best to meet the needs of their pupils. We have taken a range of actions to help them build a whole-school approach to good mental wellbeing. We funded guidance and age-appropriate lesson plans on teaching mental health in PSHE and have supported the development of MindEd, a free online portal which enables all adults working with children and young people learn more about specific mental health problems and how to support them. We have recently revised and updated our blueprint for effective school-based counselling, and published guidance on mental health and behaviour.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2 We know that schools are sharing practice in Stockport. For instance the Pendlebury Centre has developed training programmes and measuring tools which it is sharing as part of its role as a teaching school. More widely, the government is making £1.4bn available over the course of this Parliament to transform local children and young people’s mental health services to deliver more integrated and accessible services. Clinical Commissioning Groups have been required to produce plans that set out how they will transform children and young people’s mental health services locally to make them more accessible and increase the focus on prevention. Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group has led a multi-agency partnership in collaboration with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to develop a 5-year-plan to improve the availability, appropriateness and effectiveness of mental health services for children and young people in Stockport.http://stockportccg.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Local-Transformation-Plan-2015-16-Summary-Document.pdf.

Department for Education: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if her Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education works closely with the Government Digital Service (GDS) to ensure the digital products and services delivered are fit for purpose and put the user first. Each of the online forms is developed in accordance with the GDS Service Standard, applying design principles and house style to ensure consistency and a satisfying user experience. When designing online forms, the only questions asked are those that are relevant and required and eliminate unnecessary steps and fields that are not pertinent to the purpose of the data we are collecting. At present there are no plans to include an honours question as a standard element across all of the online forms but if the data being collected requires this information to be collected then the online form will contain this particular field.

Teachers: Training

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many trainee teachers have carried out practical teaching experience at pupil referral units in each year since 2012.

Nick Gibb: The number of trainees who undertook teaching experience at a pupil referral unit is listed below. YearNumber of trainee teachers at pupil referral units2012/1302013/1402014/15162015/1619Source: ITT census raw data1) Totals include valid trainees on a placement at a PRU or a school with a PRU attached.2) The number of trainee teachers at a PRU is sometimes not known, because PRUs may be attached to a maintained school, and trainee teachers may not necessarily be at the PRU.3) The numbers have increased in line with the increase in School Direct numbers and the increase in the number of placement schools.

Academies: Performance Standards

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy alternative provision sponsor-led schools have been graded (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate in each year since 2010.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupil referral units have been graded (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate in each year since 2010.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy alternative provision converter schools have been graded (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate in each year since 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many alternative provision free schools have been graded (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate in each year since 2012.

Nick Gibb: These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Teachers

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that the number of qualified teachers does not decrease proportionately or in real terms by 2022.

Nick Gibb: As announced in our White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, our proposals to replace Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with a new, stronger accreditation will raise the bar for new teachers. While we expect the vast majority of new teachers to continue to complete initial teacher training (ITT), these proposals will also mean that schools can put teachers who have not completed a period of ITT onto a pathway to formal accreditation. We will set out further details of how and when we intend to implement the new accreditation process shortly. Until then, the Department has no plans to change the regulations which permit academies and maintained schools to employ teachers who do not hold QTS.

Teachers: Training

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to section 2.28 of the White Paper, Educational excellence everywhere, published in March 2016, by what criteria her Department will assess which higher education institutions are assessed as the best universities for education and teacher training.

Nick Gibb: Our recent White Paper made a commitment to raising the quality of initial teacher training so that teaching continues to be a profession that attracts the brightest and the best. We want to ensure that training places are allocated to providers – both schools and universities – with a proven track record of effectively recruiting high-quality trainees, delivering high-quality programmes of training, and securing the best possible outcomes for trainees. We will be setting out further detail of our plans to implement these reforms shortly. This will include confirming details of the quality criteria that we intend to use to inform the allocation of places to universities and schools for the training year 2017/18. We are currently holding discussions with stakeholders, including ITT providers and their representative bodies, to inform the development of appropriate criteria.

Teachers: Training

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.29 of her Department's White Paper, Educational excellence everywhere, published in March 2016; what measure her Department plans to use to determine what constitutes a high quality trainee.

Nick Gibb: High-quality trainee teachers are central to our ambition of achieving educational excellence everywhere. The White Paper confirmed that we will introduce new quality criteria to inform the allocation of training places to providers of initial teacher training (ITT) for both schools and universities. This will include an assessment of the quality of trainees recruited to ITT courses. We will announce further details of the criteria we intend to use shortly; this will begin to inform the allocation of training places to schools and universities from the 2017/18 training year. We anticipate refining the criteria over the coming years, taking account of feedback from the sector and the way in which providers are responding.

Teachers: Training

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.12 of her Department's White Paper, Educational excellence everywhere, published in March 2016; how she plans to reform the National College of Teaching and Leadership so that it can ensure the national and regional supply of teachers.

Nick Gibb: All executive agencies are required to undertake a review every three years. The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) Triennial Review is being led by Roger Pope, Chair of NCTL.We expect to confirm the results of that review later this year.

Adoption

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of a vote to leave the EU in the forthcoming referendum on (a) the process for child adoption and (b) the number of children adopted.

Edward Timpson: The EU referendum vote will have no bearing on the UK’s adoption process as there are no uniform rules applicable in all EU countries and every country applies its own rules. The adoption system in England is underpinned by the Children Act 1989 and Adoption and Children Act 2002 and associated statutory guidance. We do not collect centrally information on how many children from EU member states have been adopted in the UK.

Offences against Children

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the observations from the Minister for Children and Families of 1 February 2016, Official Report, volume 605, column 8P, when the consultation on mandatory reporting of child abuse will commence.

Edward Timpson: The Government will launch its consultation on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in due course. The consultation will run for the full twelve weeks. The Government will carefully consider the need for any further statutory measures in the light of responses.

Grandparents: Parental Responsibility

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of grandparents that care for grandchildren.

Edward Timpson: Informal family and friends care arrangements, such as grandparents who provide care to their grandchildren, are made within families, without local authority involvement. The Department collects and publishes information about looked-after children who are placed in foster care with a relative or friend. As at 31 March 2015, 7,910 looked-after children were cared for in these arrangements.

Further Education: Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the interim findings of the Area Based Review of further education which includes Central Sussex College; what the geographical extent of that review is; and which other further education institutions are included in that review.

Nick Boles: Central Sussex College is within the Sussex area review, part of wave 1 of the area review programme which began in September 2015. This review covers Brighton & Hove City, East Sussex, and West Sussex Councils, and Coast to Capital and South East Local Enterprise Partnerships. The other further education institutions included in this review are: Chichester College; City College, Brighton and Hove; Northbrook College, Sussex; Plumpton College; Sussex Coast College; Sussex Downs College; Worthing College; Bexhill College; Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College; and Varndean College. The local steering groups overseeing each area review hold regular meetings and do not intend to publish interim findings of any area review. The Department is committed to making the outcomes transparent, and once each review reaches its conclusions, there will be a report published at the end of each Area Review process.

Schools: Finance

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential effect of changes to employer national insurance and pension contributions on (a) primary and (b) secondary school budgets.

Nick Gibb: The most recent change to the employer contribution rate for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) took place in September 2015. At that time the rate was increased from 14.1% to 16.4% of the total pay bill from September 2015. The current employer contribution rate will not change until after the next scheme valuation is complete, which is expected to be in April 2018. On 1 April this year, the single tier state pension was introduced. Members of previously contracted out schemes will no longer receive a National Insurance rebate. The National Insurance rate for employers has increased therefore by 3.4% for all salary payments between £8,112.01 and £40,040. Based on data from the last scheme valuation this change is expected to add on average 2% to schools’ pay bill, in relation to the TPS, from 1 April 2016.

Schools: Transport

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the provision of free school transport for children who receive the higher rate of the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Nick Gibb: I refer my Rt Hon Friend to the reply given to written questions 31573 and 31574 on 22 March 2016.

Persian Language: Qualifications

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will instruct exam boards to offer GCSE and A-Level examinations in Persian after 2018; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Examination boards are independent organisations and the Secretary of State cannot instruct them to offer any particular qualifications. On 22 April we announced the successful preservation of community language qualifications following negotiation with the examination boards. This fulfilled the commitment made by the Government in 2015. The announcement can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/future-of-community-language-qualifications-secured.It remains open to the exam boards to decide to offer qualifications in Persian in future.

Schools: Inspections

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will instruct Ofsted, when drawing up a report on a school, to consult parents who live locally but do not send their children to that school.

Nick Gibb: There are no plans for the Secretary of State to instruct Ofsted on this matter.

Academies: Sponsorship

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average time taken is for an academy school to be re-brokered to another academy sponsor.

Edward Timpson: Where an academy is not meeting the required standard or needs a change of sponsor, the Regional Schools Commissioner strives to ensure that this change happens as quickly as possible, with minimum impact to the school. The Department does not hold a central record of the time taken for re-brokerage. The Education and Adoption Act 2016 gives Regional Schools Commissioners powers to tackle underperformance in academies more quickly, by allowing them to terminate their funding agreement and re-broker an academy as soon as it is judged inadequate by Ofsted or identified as coasting.

Academies: Sponsorship

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools have been re-brokered to other academy sponsors in each year since 2010.

Nick Boles: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: Sponsorship

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools are (a) in the process of being re-brokered and (b) awaiting re-brokering.

Nick Boles: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy schools are not members of a multi-academy trust.

Edward Timpson: As of 1 April 2016, 1,928 academies and free schools are not members of a multi-academy trust.

English Language: National Curriculum Tests

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of times the Key Stage 1 spelling, punctuation and grammar test, which was due to be sat in May 2016 but was subsequently cancelled, was downloaded from the Standard and Testing Agency's website.

Nick Gibb: The version of the key stage 1 spelling test administration guidance which contained the live test content was downloaded by 18,986 individual users between 24 December 2015 and 20 April 2016.

Academies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of consultation processes on the conversion of all schools to academies in the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Pre-opening support grants are available to schools when they convert. These grants contribute towards the costs of establishing the academy, including legal fees, costs associated with transfer of land, transfer of software licences, the consultation process, Human Resource and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations advice and setting up the Academy Trust. The precise costs will depend on how schools individually and collectively come forward with academy proposals. There will, however, be a range of help available to support schools to become academies and secure the associated benefits.

Schools: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the cost of Civil Service support for the Tile Hill Wood and Woodlands Academy consultation to date; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Part of the Department’s role is to monitor the performance of open academies and intervene where appropriate. As this work forms part of the Department’s regular intervention work it does not have a specific cost associated with it.

Academies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from schools in Coventry on the Government's policy that all schools should become academies; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: We have not received any representations from schools in Coventry regarding the Government’s policy that all schools will become academies. We want every school to be an academy because it leads to a more dynamic, responsive and higher-performing education system. It allows successful schools to consolidate success and spread that excellence across the country. As part of our plans, we are giving schools six years' notice to work with their local authority and diocese to plan and make the right decisions for their pupils and communities. We are clear that no school has to rush into an arrangement that is not right for them.

Pre-school Education

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Government's plan to make every school an academy on nursery school education.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government has confirmed that the expectation that all schools will become academies by 2020 does not include the early years. We know that close working between primary schools – whether they are academies or maintained schools - and nursery schools is essential to improving pupils’ transition to Reception. We would expect those excellent local relationships that already exist to continue, regardless of whether the school is an academy or not.

Academies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of requiring all schools to convert to academies; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Taking the Spending Review and last month’s Budget together, we have set aside the funding to support a high quality, academised school system. We have over £500m available in this Parliament to build capacity in the system – including recruiting excellent sponsors and encouraging the development of strong multi-academy trusts.The precise costs will depend on how schools individually and collectively come forward with academy proposals. There will, however, be a range of help available to support schools to become academies and secure the associated benefits.

Academies: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of converting schools into academies in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands.

Edward Timpson: In light of the new money announced in the Budget to support our plans, we are currently considering how best to consolidate and improve the support available to schools as they convert to become academies. New guidance will be available soon which will ensure that the available funding has maximum impact to build capacity and help schools make the most of the opportunities of becoming an academy. There will be a range of help available to support schools to become academies and secure the associated benefits. Pre-opening support grants are available to all schools, which contribute towards the costs of conversion incurred by schools in establishing the academy. In addition, other grants support a range of different models and phases of academy development, including the sponsor capacity fund and grants which are targeted to help groups of primary schools to either come together in new trusts or join existing ones.

Free Schools: Special Educational Needs

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils in free schools have (a) statements of special educational needs and (b) Education, Health and Care plans.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils in schools with academy status have (a) statements of special educational needs and (b) Education, Health and Care plans.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils in local authority maintained schools have (a) statements of special educational needs and (b) Education, Health and Care plans.

Edward Timpson: Information on the number and percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan by type of institution in the January 2015 School Census is available on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015 (Table 1A and 1D.)

Teachers: Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training is provided to teachers on working with children who have autism spectrum disorder.

Edward Timpson: The Department has contracted with the Autism Education Trust since 2011 to deliver autism training to education professionals. The Trust has now trained more than 90,000 education professionals. The Department is also funding work by the National Autistic Society to provide information and advice to parents and professionals on exclusions, and work to integrate into the Autism Education Trust training the learning from a previous project by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting transition from school to college for students with autism. We have also supported Nasen’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Gateway (www.sendgateway.org.uk). This offers education professionals free, easy access to high quality information, resources and training for meeting the needs of children with SEND, including those with autism. In 2015-16, the Department also funded Nasen to develop a free universal offer of SEN Continuous Professional Development for teachers. The National College for Teaching and Leadership has produced a series of specialist online courses, one of which focuses on autism. The training materials are designed to support teachers in mainstream schools who want to improve their skills in teaching pupils with SEND. The training materials can be found at: www.education.gov.uk/lamb. In order to be awarded qualified teacher status, trainees must satisfy the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND, and are able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them. Following Sir Andrew Carter’s independent review of the quality and effectiveness of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses, the Secretary of State appointed an independent working group made up of expert representatives from the sector to develop a framework of core ITT content. This includes considering Sir Andrew’s recommendations around the SEND content of the proposed framework. The working group is due to report to the Department soon. We will consider their recommendations carefully and determine how they should be taken forward.

Pupils: Autism

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in (a) primary and (b) secondary non-specialist schools have autism spectrum disorder; how schools are required to identify those children;  and what support her Department gives to those children.

Edward Timpson: In January 2015, there were 35,030 children in mainstream primary schools and 30,845 children in mainstream secondary schools who were identified as having autistic spectrum disorder as their primary type of need[1]. Under the SEND Code of Practice all maintained schools are required to identify the special educational needs of pupils, including those with autism. Where any pupil makes less progress than expected, schools should assess the pupil’s needs, put in place suitable support to meet those needs and review it regularly to ensure it continues to be appropriate. If, despite additional support provided by the school, a pupil continues to make less progress than expected, the school (or the parents) can ask the local authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment of the pupil’s needs. If the local authority decides to issue an EHC plan, it will specify the provision needed to support the pupil’s needs and what additional resources will be funded by the local authority. The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced significant reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system which will better support children and young people with autism in the education system. This includes the publication of ‘local offers’ of SEND services by local authorities, the introduction of streamlined EHC plans, and new statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education. The Act also makes provision to ensure that parents, children and young people are able to access impartial information, advice and support about the SEND system. This is available through a local, dedicated and easily identifiable service which includes help to prepare them for meetings with schools, health professionals or other agencies that may be supporting them in their education. Under the Department’s Free Schools programme, there are now nineteen special free schools open across the country, including several that are specifically for children with Autism, such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds and the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a further eleven special free schools due to open in the future, five of which will specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Heartlands Autism free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard free school in Lambeth. The other six will offer some places for children with autism. [1] National Statistics: Special Educational Needs in England 2015, Table 8, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015).

Mental Health Services: Schools

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools have a mental health specialist as a permanent member of staff.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Schools have the autonomy to decide on the provision of mental health support. We have recently commissioned an extensive survey which will provide nationally representative estimates of what provision schools and colleges offer for mental health and character education. The fieldwork will begin in the summer term.We have also contributed to a £3m joint pilot with NHS England for training single points of contact in schools and specialist mental health services, to ensure that children and young people have timely access to specialist support where needed.

Schools: Admissions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children in England who were not allocated a place at their preferred (a) primary and (b) secondary school due to pressures linked to a rising population in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes school application and offer data annually and this is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-applications. Supporting local authorities to create sufficient school places is one of the Government’s top priorities. That is why we have committed to investing £7 billion in new school places up to 2021, which, when added to our investment in the free schools programme, will help to create 600,000 new places.

Pupils: English Language

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost is to the public purse of school expenditure on supporting pupils who do not have English as their first language.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Under current funding arrangements, local authorities devise funding formulae through which to distribute funding to schools in their localities. One of the factors local authorities can include is an English as an additional language (EAL) factor. EAL funding is determined on the basis of census data which records whether or not a pupil’s first language is English. In 2015-16, a total of £267 million was allocated through this factor to school budgets. This figure does not represent the cost of supporting pupils with EAL; instead, it forms part of the school’s core budget. It is then for school leaders to determine how best to use their whole budget so that all pupils can reach their full potential. We will introduce a national funding formula from 2017-18 so that funding is fair and matched to need. Our first consultation, which closed on 17 April, proposed that the formula should include an EAL factor. We are reviewing all the responses and will set out the precise detail of the formula in our second consultation, to be published later this year.

Ministry of Justice

First-tier Tribunal

Mr Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what provision has been made for moving the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) from Chichester Magistrates' Court when that Court is closed.

Mr Shailesh Vara: HM Courts & Tribunals Service is committed to ensuring that adequate provision will be secured for the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) which will relocate from Chichester Magistrates’ Court when it closes. Options are currently being evaluated.

Courts: Chichester

Mr Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of closing the Chichester Combined Court Centre and Chichester Magistrates' Court on the work of (a) Chichester constabulary, (b) Chichester District Council and (c) other local services.

Mr Shailesh Vara: All responses to the consultation were carefully considered before the decision was made to close the courts in Chichester. This included evaluating the impact on the police, the District Council and other local services. In recognition of the particular circumstances of court users in Chichester, the Combined Court Centre will not close until suitable local alternative provision is in place.

Administration of Justice: Chichester

Mr Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on demand for justice services of future growth in the population of Chichester.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The demand for justice services may change in future due to many factors including, but not limited to, demographic changes. The decision to close the courts in Chichester was made on the basis that the receiving courts have capacity to accommodate current and future projected workloads. The improvements which will be delivered by the reform of HM Courts & Tribunals Service will enable court services to be delivered flexibly and provide greater resilience to changes in demand.

Equal Pay: Tribunals

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33501, on equal pay tribunals, how many individual equal pay claims have been brought against employers by (a) men and (b) women in each year between 2010 and 2015.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33501, on equal pay tribunals, how many (a) men and (b) women were involved in the two large multiple claims referred to in that answer; and against whom those claims were brought.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The two large multiple cases consisted of 11,585 men and 3,475 women, plus one claimant who did not state their gender. We are not able to provide further information about these cases as they have not yet been listed for hearing. The table below shows the number of equal pay claims accepted by the Employment Tribunal for each calendar year since 2010: Calendar YearGender  FemaleMale201029,7544,083201124,0493,647201215,6974,340201318,3985,03920146,0521,50920156,42313,312

Prisons: Mental Health Services

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that prisoners with mental health problems can access appropriate treatment.

Andrew Selous: We are developing pathways into mental health treatment, which will be offered to offenders at all stages of the criminal justice system. All prisons have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves, and we have increased resources to undertake this work.

Taxis: Assistance Dogs

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Sentencing Council on the offence of refusing carriage to an assistance dog.

Dominic Raab: It is an offence under section 168 of the Equalities Act 2010 to refuse to take an assistance dog in a taxi or private hire vehicle. The maximum penalty is up to £1,000. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. There is no evidence that courts are finding their sentencing powers insufficient. The Sentencing Council considers the case for guidelines on the basis of a number of factors, including where data suggests there may be inconsistency in sentencing.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of sentencing guidelines for people convicted of using a mobile phone when driving.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations his Department has received on strengthening sentencing guidelines for people using a mobile phone when driving.

Dominic Raab: The offence of using a mobile phone while driving risks harm to others and is wholly unacceptable in our society. Guidelines on sentencing are produced by the independent Sentencing Council, which was established to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing. The Council has a statutory duty to monitor the operation and effect of its guidelines. The most recent statistics on sentencing for using or causing to use a mobile phone whilst driving can be viewed in the motoring data tool on the Ministry of Justice website at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

Road Traffic Offences: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drivers who did not hold valid driving licences have been convicted of driving without insurance in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children under 18 were convicted of driving without insurance in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mike Penning: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts, of offences related to driving without insurance, with age split between adult and juvenile, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (latest available) can be viewed in the motoring data tool in the annual publication linked below:- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 Information on whether or not the offender held a valid driving licence is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Driving: Licensing

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of driving with a driving licence that was fraudulently obtained in the last three years.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drivers with full, provisional or no licences were convicted of driving without insurance in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts, of offences related to driving with a driving licence that was fraudulently obtained, in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2014 (latest data available) can be viewed in the “Motoring data tool “ in the annual publication linked below:-https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database cannot separately identify whether an offender convicted of driving without insurance had a licence or held a provisional or full licence. The information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The overall number of convictions for driving without insurance is available at the link above.

Social Services: Children

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with (a) G4S and (b) other bodies on the announcement that G4S is to sell its children's services businesses made on 26 February 2016.

Andrew Selous: The Ministry of Justice has been in regular contact with G4S and other relevant bodies. This engagement includes monitoring the progress of the potential sale to ensure it does not jeopardise the delivery of services at the Secure Training Centres.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has accrued to the public purse from employment tribunal fees in each year since those fees were introduced.

Dominic Raab: The annual income accrued from Employment Tribunal fee charges in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is of the published in the HMCTS Annual Report & Accounts:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/323112/hmcts-annual-report-2013-14.PDF - pages 84 to 85;https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433948/hmcts-annual-report-accounts-2014-15.pdf - pages 78 to 79

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish its review of the impact of tribunal fees.

Dominic Raab: We will announce the conclusions of our review of fees in the Employment Tribunals in due course.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his letter of 11 February 2016 to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, what work has been done to date to engage with legal, academic and civic society stakeholders in Northern Ireland on the Government's proposals to reform the UK's human rights framework.

Dominic Raab: We have already sought views and will continue to engage with stakeholders across the United Kingdom to deliver a modernised and reformed human rights framework for the whole of the United Kingdom. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and will announce further details in due course.

Human Rights

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has for consultation on proposed reforms to the UK's human rights framework in the devolved regions; and what the form, timing and content of such consultation will be.

Dominic Raab: This Government was elected with a mandate to reform and modernise the UK human rights framework. We will fully consult on our proposals before introducing legislation for a Bill of Rights and we will set out our proposals in due course.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Government's proposals to reform the UK's human rights framework.

Dominic Raab: We continue to engage with the devolved administrations to deliver a modernised and reformed human rights framework for the whole of the United Kingdom. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and will announce further details in due course.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reforms to the UK's human rights framework on policing in Northern Ireland.

Dominic Raab: We will consider the implications of a Bill of Rights on devolved matters as we develop our proposals. We will, of course, fully engage with the devolved administrations. We will set out our proposals in due course.

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the Government's proposals to reform the UK human rights framework and its potential effects on policing in Northern Ireland.

Dominic Raab: We continue to engage with the devolved administrations to deliver a modernised and reformed human rights framework for the whole of the United Kingdom. We are committed to consulting fully on our proposals prior to the introduction of any legislation and will announce further details in due course.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Public Appointments

Mr Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will publish a list of hon. Members and Members of the House of Lords who he has appointed to serve as his envoy in the current Parliament; what the title and responsibility was of each of those envoys; when each of those envoys was appointed; and of those whose appointment was subsequently terminated, on what date that termination occurred.

Mr David Cameron: Information regarding trade envoys can be found on the gov.uk website.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Department has no plans to include space for people to include their honours in Government online forms. Space to include honours in online forms produced by the Department’s arm's length bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies is a matter for those bodies.

BBC World Service

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the BBC on the decision to move the Chinese language BBC World News Service to Hong Kong.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I have not had any discussions with the BBC about the decision to move the Chinese language BBC World News Service to Hong Kong. Operational decisions of this nature are for the BBC themselves, and rightly independent of Government.

World War I: Anniversaries

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Education and (b) Northern Ireland Executive on increasing the involvement of children and young people of school age in commemorative events for the First World War.

David Evennett: My Department works in close partnership with the Department for Education on the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours and Legacy 110 programmes for secondary schools, which we encourage schools to sign up to throughout the centenary period. To get even more young people involved in commemorations, we will soon launch the Great War Debate series for schools. We plan to hold one of these debates at the Clandeboye Estate, a First World War army training site, in November. Children will take part in all our national commemorative events to mark the Battle of Jutland in Orkney on 31 May, and the Battle of the Somme at Thiepval and Manchester on 1 July. As one example, over 1300 school children are due to visit the Experience Field at Heaton Park in Manchester on 1 July, as part of the Somme commemorations. Commemorative events in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland WWI Centenary Committee. The Chair of the Committee attends Government Advisory Group meetings where all aspects of the centenary programmes are discussed.

Tourism: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with Tourism NI on increasing the level of tourism from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland.

David Evennett: Tourism Ireland, a body established under the Good Friday Agreement, has responsibility for marketing Northern Ireland as a visitor destination in all markets outside of the island of Ireland, including in Great Britain. We want more tourists to visit Northern Ireland, and experience all that it has to offer, from the Giant's Causeway to the film set for Game of Thrones. My officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in each Devolved Administration on tourism.​There are Memoranda of Understanding in place between VisitBritain, Tourism Ireland and the Tourism Northern Ireland, which set out their respective roles and responsibilities.

Sportsgrounds: Safety

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 20201; what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on safe-standing facilities at higher tier sports stadia on the recent findings of the Hillsborough Inquest.

David Evennett: My Rt Honourable Friend the Home Secretary made a statement on the determinations and findings of the fresh Hillsborough inquests (Official Report, 27 April 2016, columns 1433-1463). The Taylor Report made recommendations after the disaster that would make sports grounds safer, which included the introduction of all-seater stadia in the top two tiers of English football. The Government remains of the view that that all-seater stadiums are the best means to ensure the safety and security of fans at football in England and Wales. All-seater stadiums have helped improve crowd management, crowd behaviour and policing. They also provide more comfortable facilities for spectators to enjoy football matches. We will, however, monitor the introduction of safe standing accommodation in Scotland closely once evidence from the Scottish experience is available.

Museums and Galleries: Art Works

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the Royal Academy, the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate and (b) other national art galleries to loan works from their collections to art galleries in (i) Harrow and (ii) other parts of outer London; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The National Portrait Gallery, Tate and other national museums and galleries currently loan works from their collections to other museums and galleries across the UK - and we are keen to see this increase. This Government is committed to ensuring great art is enjoyed by audiences right across the country, which is why at Budget 2016 we announced a new tax relief from 1 April 2017 to encourage museums and galleries to develop creative new touring exhibitions.In 2014/15 the national museums and galleries, who have responsibility for their specific loan arrangements, collectively lent art and cultural objects to 1,629 UK venues. Information on loaning items can be seen on the websites of national museums and galleries. The Royal Academy is an independent charity, with responsibility for its own loan arrangements.

Small Businesses: Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 19259, what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-size businesses that that level of take up represents.

Mr Edward Vaizey: A: Details on the population of businesses in each of those groups can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/467443/bpe_2015_statistical_release.pdf

Broadband: Warwick and Leamington

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the rollout of superfast broadband in (a) Warwick and (b) the Warwick and Leamington constituency.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Current estimates suggest that almost 90% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency are subject to commercial rollout, and a further 5% of premises (2,369) now have coverage as a result of the Government's Superfast Broadband programme. Based on DCMS modelled estimates and current delivery plans, 96% of premises in the Warwick and Leamington constituency will have access to superfast broadband by December 2017. Early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, could help extend coverage further.

Football: Tickets

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in other departments on whether breaches of UK laws have occurred as a consequence of secondary ticketing companies offering tickets for sale via their websites to UK-based customers for the European Football Association Championships.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to safety and security posed by the selling of tickets via websites to UK-based customers for the European Football Association Championships in the secondary ticketing market.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Football Association, Union of European Football Associations and the French government on potential risks to safety and security caused by the selling of tickets to UK-based customers for the European Football Association Championships in the secondary ticketing market.

David Evennett: It is an offence for an unauthorized person to sell a ticket for a designated football match via the internet under section 166A of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The Government expects companies in the secondary market to comply with the law. Professor Michael Waterson is chairing an independent Review of consumer protection measures applying to the re-sale of tickets for music, sporting or cultural events in the UK through secondary ticketing facilities. In supporting Professor Waterson in carrying out his Review, my officials have had discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Home Office about online re-sale of football tickets. The Department agrees with the Football Association that fans of the home nations participating in the Euro 2016 Football Championships should purchase tickets through authorised channels. Such channels include UEFA’s Euro 2016 ticket resale platform. The safety and security of the Euro 2016 Football Championships is a matter for the French Government and UEFA. The UK Government co-operates closely with France on matters of policing and security.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30624 and with reference to the First-Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber Information Rights decision of 11 March 2016, if his Department will publish the Risk Register prior to the universal credit re-set in 2013.

Priti Patel: Following the first tier tribunal decision that the Universal Credit risk register for April 2012 should be released, the document was shared with the requestor.The government’s view remains that is not in the public interest to publish risk registers because it will compromise the ability to conduct a full and frank assessment of risks and therefore increase the risk to successful delivery of major programmes.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 30180 on universal credit: correspondence, whether claimants have been informed of the availability of the Flexible Support Fund in that correspondence.

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 30180, when he expects copies of the correspondence sent to claimants on universal credit to be placed in the Library.

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33701, how much his Department has spent on contacting people likely to be affected by planned changes to the work allowance element of universal credit.

Priti Patel: Copies of the communications claimants received have been placed in the House of Commons library (reference DEP2016-0302) and are available at the following link:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/?fd=2016-03-11&search_term=Department+for+Work+and+Pensions&itemId=119004#toggle-302 The correspondence does not inform claimants of the availability of the Flexible Support Fund, however guidance for Work Coaches has been updated to remind them of the availability of the fund for those claimants affected by the changes to the Work Allowances. The approximate cost to DWP of communicating the planned changes to the work allowances to Universal Credit claimants was £590,000.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 25156, if he will publish the list of circumstances that would trigger natural migration from tax credits to universal credit.

Priti Patel: The events that can trigger a change of circumstances depend on many factors. They are similar to the circumstances that would trigger a new claim to existing benefits or tax credits.

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms his Department has put in place for redress and backdated payments to the parent with care in the event that it is found that the non-resident parent (a) provided false information about their income and  (b) failed to inform the relevant body of an increase in their income under (i) the Child Support Agency scheme and (ii) the Child Maintenance Service scheme; and what the timescales are for such redress or payments.

Priti Patel: All three statutory maintenance schemes allow the Secretary of State to revise any maintenance liability decision found to be incorrect as a result of misrepresentation by either parent. There is no timescale within which the misrepresentation must be discovered, before a revision may be completed. Under the 2012 scheme, in the first instance maintenance is assessed using historic income information from HMRC. Annual reviews are carried out using HMRC income data and liabilities are adjusted accordingly. Over the lifetime of a case changes to income should therefore be reflected appropriately. Where an individual is assessed on current income, they are obliged to inform the Child Maintenance Service of any increase to their income of 25% or over. If they fail to do so and the Child Maintenance Service subsequently becomes aware of an increase in their income, the Secretary of State may still calculate a new assessment, taking effect at the point the income increased. Any arrears that result from such “retrospective” action will nonetheless be due and CMS will take enforcement action if the Paying Parent does not arrange to pay them themselves. The CMS has a comprehensive range of enforcement actions at its disposal, to help ensure that parents fulfil their obligations. All maintenance liability decisions carry an underlying right of appeal to an independent Tribunal.

Department for Work and Pensions: Electronic Government

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing Government online forms.

Justin Tomlinson: We only collect information that is relevant for an online service. As information on honours is not needed for a user to complete any of our online services we have no plans to collect this information.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who will be affected by proposed changes to debt repayment arrangements under universal credit.

Justin Tomlinson: Analysis undertaken by DWP has identified a large number of variables that will affect debt repayments from individuals claiming Universal Credit. This includes, but is not limited to; the number of people claiming Universal Credit, the level of Universal Credit award they receive, the amount of debt they have (across DWP, HMRC and Local Authorities), the approach for recovering debt from Universal Credit and the approach for recovering debt by deduction from earnings. Considering this, it is likely that most Universal Credit claimants with existing debts or debt repayment arrangements will be affected to some degree. At present there is insufficient data to predict the effects of these variables accurately. Given the scale of the change, the likely confidence interval for forecasts for any time after 2016-17 is too large to give a meaningful or indicative answer at this time. However, as Universal Credit rolls out, DWP will continue to analyse all available data to give a wider view on any changes to debt repayment agreements that are being seen under Universal Credit. In addition, DWP will continue to work with HMRC and Local Authorities in developing forecasting models to show the changes that people with debt will see as their benefit payments move to Universal Credit.

Funerals: Low Incomes

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33700, what steps his Department is taking to monitor levels of funeral poverty.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government recognises that some families on low incomes can struggle to meet the costs of a funeral, this is why the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments covers specified necessary costs and provides a significant contribution of up to £700 towards the fee levied by funeral directors for all other funeral expenses.My Department continues to look at the effectiveness of the scheme so that it provides effective support and will keep on monitoring its effectiveness and liaising with stakeholders and interested groups so that it maintains its aim of providing a contribution towards the cost of a funeral.

Jobcentre Plus: Food Banks

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33196, whether his Department plans to place work coaches in other food banks.

Priti Patel: Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches undertake outreach work every day in local communities on a number of activities which includes supporting the Troubled Families Programme, homeless hostels, drug and alcohol dependency and ex-offenders. They have recently been helping people with back-to-work support and advice in Manchester at the Lalley Community Centre, where a food bank sits alongside other support services. The decision on engagement with food banks and other local community initiatives will continue to remain at local discretion; where Jobcentre Plus is invited to work with a food bank provider and where there is local need.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the personal details of universal credit claimants are stored safely.

Priti Patel: The security of claimant information is a crucial part of the way that data is managed in the department. The personal details of Universal Credit claimants are securely stored and access to this data is strictly controlled. A range of controls are present within the Universal Credit service to protect the confidentiality and integrity of claimant personal data and there are regular tests against these controls to ensure that they meet Government and international security standards..

Flexible Support Fund

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 26246, what funding his Department has allocated to the Flexible Support Fund in 2016-17.

Priti Patel: The Flexible Support Fund allocation for 2016-17 is £64m. This figure is subject to change throughout the year.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State has met with a number of his constituents who have raised this issue, and he will be meeting with Tim Loughton, who has been involved in the WASPI campaign, very soon. He is clear that there are no plans to change policy.

New Enterprise Allowance

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the New Enterprise Allowance in achieving its aims.

Priti Patel: Latest statistics show that 80,830 new businesses have been set up with the support of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA). A survey of NEA recipients was published in January 2016 and found that of businesses that had started trading following receipt of NEA support, four in five were still trading giving a sustainability rate of 80%. Of these, over nine in ten had been trading for over 12 months. This report was published on 28 January and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-enterprise-allowance-survey.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Pensions

Mike Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the pension schemes of abolished non-departmental public bodies in (a) identifying pensioners as they become eligible for payments and (b) ensuring that payments are processed and triggered for payment on the due date.

Mike Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of future pensioners who will be eligible for payments by the pension schemes of abolished non-departmental public bodies.

Justin Tomlinson: Departmental preparations for the reform of non-departmental public bodies take account of the Checklist for Departments published by the Cabinet Office, which includes advice on pensions. In the past five years, the Department has reformed three bodies which employed staff. In two cases, staff pensions were provided by the Civil Service Pension Scheme, which has established procedures in place for identifying pensioners as they become eligible, and ensuring that payments are processed on time: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was abolished on 31 July 2012 and employed 7,652 full time equivalent staff, all of whom were civil servants;The Independent Living Fund legally closed on 30 June 2015, however a small residual team of 15 staff was retained until 30 September to deal with any residual closure issues. It had previously employed 99.5 full time equivalent staff. In April 2015, the Remploy business was sold to a new company outside Government control. The majority of its employees transferred to that company and left the Remploy Pension Scheme at the time. The pension scheme continues to be managed by its trustees and the scheme administrators, who remain responsible for identifying pensioners and ensuring they are paid appropriately once they become eligible. At 1 January 2016, the Remploy Pension Scheme had approximately 18,000 members, of whom over 9,500 were deferred members and thus potential future pensioners. From 1 April 2016, my Department is now the Principal Employer for this scheme.

PAYE: Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data quality testing has been carried out on the effect on universal credit calculations of the timeliness and accuracy of employer PAYE reporting through real time information.

Priti Patel: DWP and HMRC are continually monitoring the quality of Real Time Information (RTI). DWP analysts are working to understand the volumes of late, missing or incorrect RTI returns on Universal Credit (UC), although this analysis is still developing and will be broadened as UC expands to different types of claimants. DWP continually work with HMRC to identify employers who are submitting inaccurate returns and work with them to rectify issues.

Self-employed: Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of extending statutory (a) maternity pay, (b) paternity pay and (c) sick pay to self-employed people.

Priti Patel: The Government is looking at what more could be done to support the self-employed, but do not have plans to extend Statutory Payments to self-employed people. Statutory payments are paid by employers to qualifying employees.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 192 of the Office of Budget Responsibility's report, Economic and fiscal outlook, published in March 2016, how the estimated savings of £0.8 billion by 2020-21 from the minimum income floor of universal credit were calculated.

Priti Patel: The savings were estimated using DWP's and HMRC's models of the tax and benefit system. Extracting the full details of the calculations carried out within the models would only be possible at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Freedom of Information

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's total legal costs were in case EA/2013/0148/9 heard by the First-Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber Information Rights on 22 February 2016.

Priti Patel: At the First Tier Tribunal on 22 February 2016 3 cases were heard together - EE/2013/0145; EA2013/0148; EA/2013/0149 . We can not break down the costs for the individual cases.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telereal Trillium

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which one of his Department's assets Telereal Trillium are responsible for maintaining.

Justin Tomlinson: Since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies space provided through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI Contract the Department sold all of its property assets and assigned all leases held to Telereal Trillium, and now leases back fully serviced accommodation from them. As such the Department does not own any assets that are maintained by Telereal Trillium.

Department for Work and Pensions: Civil Proceedings

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ongoing legal disputes his Department is currently engaged in.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not hold any central register of on-going legal disputes. To collate the information requested would take the costs of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effect of the reduction of work allowances under universal credit announced in the Summer Budget 2015 on the number of children living in relative poverty in (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19, (d) 2019-20 and (e) 2020-21.

Priti Patel: The Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improve life chances for children. Work remains the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. Early evidence shows claimants move into work significantly faster than under the current system. In addition, Universal Credit now provides for 85% of childcare costs meaning more support for hardworking families.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the under-occupancy penalty on families with severely disabled children.

Justin Tomlinson: The rules allow severely disabled children who are normally expected to share a bedroom with another child to have a bedroom of their own. This easement applies when a severely disabled child is in receipt of the middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance and their disabilities would mean that they would disturb the sleep of the other child; or there is a potential threat of violence. This easement applies across both the private and social rented sectors. Discretionary Housing Payments are available for those who do not satisfy these conditions.

Members: Correspondence

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he intends to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Pontypridd dated 28 March 2016 on the Government's priorities for social security.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr Crabbe), replied on 03 May 2016.

Personal Independence Payment: Hove

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average distance is travelled by residents of Hove for face-to-face personal independence payment assessments.

Justin Tomlinson: Atos Healthcare does not hold or retain information about customer journey times to attend assessments. Should a customer foresee a problem with travelling to their assessment they are asked to contact Atos to discuss their circumstances.

Employment and Support Allowance

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will abolishing work-focused interviews in work-related activity groups for disabled people who are under appeal from employment and support allowance.

Priti Patel: Growing evidence over the last decade has shown that work can keep people healthy as well as help promote recovery and it is right therefore to offer support to those placed in the work related activity group who are appealing the decision. The work coach or provider will work with the claimant to tailor reasonable activities to help them prepare for a future return to work.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received payments from the Financial Assistance Scheme in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) government region in the last year; and how many of those recipients were former members of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme in that year.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Supported Housing

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33625, when he plans to publish the policy review of the supported housing sector.

Justin Tomlinson: The Supported Accommodation evidence review is currently underway and we expect to publish the review report shortly. Alongside this work, as part of our policy review, we will continue to work with and listen to all relevant stakeholders, including the supported housing sector in order to develop a workable and sustainable funding regime.

ASW: Pensions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department last met representatives of former members of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme.

Justin Tomlinson: All Ministerial meetings with external parties are recorded on the Cabinet Office website.

Pensions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reforming (a) pension protection arrangements and (b) corporate pension schemes.

Justin Tomlinson: The pension protection arrangements for defined benefit occupational pension schemes have been robust and effective. The Government keeps these arrangements under review, engaging relevant stakeholders, in order to ensure that members of pension schemes are properly protected, and considers long term as well as short term factors for the pension protection landscape.

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average reduction in benefits was for claimants subject to the under-occupancy penalty in each of the last three financial years.

Justin Tomlinson: The average weekly reduction for claimants subject to the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy for each of the last three financial years was as follows: £14.42 in 2013/14;£14.92 in 2014/15; and£15.25 in 2015/16.

ASW: Pensions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value was of payments made under the Financial Assistance Scheme to former members of Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme in each of the last six years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department arising from application of the under-occupancy penalty in each of the last three financial years.

Justin Tomlinson: The estimated savings from the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy policy in each of the last three financial years is as follows: £490 million in 2013/14;£525 million in 2014/15; and£560 million in 2015/16.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Financial Assistance Scheme paid out in each of the last six years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information is in the table below.  Financial YearAmount paid by the FAS £million2009/1034.152010/1145.772011/1274.142012/13110.912013/14159.752014/15187.75

Universal Credit

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure the randomised control trial his Department is conducting on in-work progression follows the code of ethics set by the British Psychological Society.

Priti Patel: The Department considers the ethical implications of trials throughout development, implementation and analysis. Research on our in-work progression trial adheres to the Government Social Research Code.

Universal Credit

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether participation in the randomised control trial his Department is conducting on in-work progression is mandatory for claimants; and what consequences there will be for claimants who do not wish to take part in that trial.

Priti Patel: Universal Credit claimants who meet the eligibility criteria will be required to participate in the trial. However, we are careful to protect people who are vulnerable. Claimants who are unable to work or earn more due to caring or because of health conditions or disabilities will not be required to participate, and there are a number of further exclusion criteria which generally reflect those applied to out of work UC claimants.Every claimant participating in the trial will have a tailored Claimant Commitment which is a joint agreement between the work coach and the claimant which sets out clearly what reasonable activity they have agreed to do in order to improve their earnings. Trial participants who fail to engage in the process, or who fail to take the reasonable actions mutually agreed in their claimant commitment without good reason may have their Universal Credit payments reduced under a sanction.Claimants will be given the opportunity to explain why they have not complied with a requirement. An independent decision maker will consider if a sanction is appropriate and if the claimant had good reason for not complying, taking into account the claimant’s representations. Where a claimant is sanctioned there are clear safeguards in place.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average (a) waiting time and (b) total call time is for calls made to the 0345 numbers operated by his Department.

Priti Patel: Please see table below for calls made to the Department on the 0345 number;   March 2016Average time to answer 0345 calls03:21Average call duration for 0345 calls04:55   Notes Calls to Working Age Benefits, Pensions Age Benefits, Disability Benefits and Universal Credit are included in the above information. The data does not include calls to customers making a claim for benefits as these are made on Freephone 0800 numbers. The data provided does not include calls handled by outsourced providers as they are not required to supply data to us on average call duration. SourceDepartment for Work and Pensions Operational Management Information Statistics

Universal Credit

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 35020, what funding the Government has allocated to local authorities to deliver digital and budgeting support for the roll-out of universal credit.

Priti Patel: As part of the rollout of Universal Credit we fund Local Authorities, through Delivery Partnerships, to provide support to claimants which includes support to acquire and improve their digital skills and to make and manage their Universal Credit claim online. There is also budgeting support to help manage their money on a monthly basis and pay bills on time. How much of this funding is targeted to specific purposes will be determined by the individual partnership and based on local need.

Universal Credit: PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures are in place to prevent employer's (a) late and (b) inaccurate reporting of PAYE through real time information causing errors in the amount of universal credit received by that employer's employees.

Priti Patel: DWP and HMRC analyse and monitor both the timeliness and accuracy of reported PAYE information. HMRC apply risk based penalties to encourage filing compliance. DWP passes queries about earnings from claimants to an HMRC team who contact employers, software developers and employer’s agents to ascertain the actual position in disputed cases and to educate them on the importance of timely and accurate data.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he intends to answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 22 March 2016 with regard to Mr S Rizvi.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the member of Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr Crabbe), replied on 28 April 2016.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Procurement

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much production work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by employees in the UK on US administration defence contracts in each of the last five years.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much production work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by employees in the UK on UK defence contracts placed with US defence companies in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much production work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by US employees in the US on UK Government defence contracts in each of the last five years.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much support work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by UK employees on UK Government defence contracts placed with US defence contractors in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much support work by (a) value and (b) numbers of jobs has been undertaken by US employees in the US on UK Government defence contracts in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value is of (a) support contracts and (b) all defence contracts placed by the UK Government with US-based companies (i) with each company and (ii) for each product since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not currently collate information on how much production or support work is undertaken in the UK or US on UK defence contracts, either by value or number of jobs. A comprehensive breakdown of which MOD contracts placed over the last five years are with UK or US suppliers is also not held centrally.The MOD routinely publishes statistics on contracts it places on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-trade-and-industry-index. This includes an overall estimate of MOD expenditure for work undertaken in the UK and lists all organisations with which we have spent £5 million or more in the financial year. These statistics include expenditure with US companies.The MOD does not collate information centrally on the value of production work undertaken in the UK on contracts placed by the US Department of Defense.

Armed forces: Cancer

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) current and (b) former service personnel that are diagnosed annually with cancer related to exposure to chemicals during their period of service.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence has made no such estimate.

Armed forces: Cancer

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria are used to determine the level of compensation due to current or former service personnel diagnosed with cancer related to working conditions experienced during their period of service.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria his Department uses to determine links between cancer experienced by a current or former member of the armed forces and exposure to chemicals during periods of service.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides no-fault compensation for members of the Armed Forces where illness, injury or death is caused by service from 6 April 2005 under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and, before that date, under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).Any disablement, injury or illness, including cancer, can be claimed with awards made where the claimed disorder is accepted as being due to service. Lay and scheme medical advisers work together and decisions are evidence based, reflecting the individual case facts, contemporary medical understanding of causation and the relevant law.Awards under the WPS depend on the assessed level of disablement with the method of assessment set out in the legislation and expressed as a percentage. The AFCS is tariff based. The legislation includes nine tables of injuries and disorders with associated tariff levels, relevant to military service. A lump sum is paid for pain and suffering taking account of the likely progress of the condition over the person's lifetime. There are fifteen tariff levels and, for the more serious disorders like cancer, a Guaranteed Income Payment to cover reduced civilian employability is paid, in addition, from the date of claim for life.Where negligence exists on the part of the MOD, Service personnel may make a claim for damages under common law for service after May 1987. Awards are determined by common law principles which, broadly, take into account, as appropriate, an individual's pain and suffering, degree of injury, past and future financial losses and level of care required. Levels of compensation which include these elements can vary depending on an individual's circumstances.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of workshare which the UK will undertake on those Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft being procured by his Department.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock) on 13 April 2016 to Question 33058. 



Maritime Patrol Aircraft
(Word Document, 15.24 KB)

Land Mines

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have suffered (a) minor injuries and (b) serious or fatal injuries as a result of mines or improvised explosive devices in the last 10 years.

Mark Lancaster: From centrally held data it is not possible to provide the exact numbers and types of injuries to UK Service personnel specifically as a result of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, we can provide the numbers of personnel that died or were injured whilst on Operations TELIC or HERRICK where the mechanism was recorded as an explosion. This includes mines, IEDs, unspecified explosives and explosive accidents.Between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2016, 514 UK Armed Forces personnel sustained a minor injury due to an explosion. Of these, 39 personnel did not have an Initial Notification of Casualty raised and thus we are unable to determine the exact severity of the injury from the centrally held data.964 personnel sustained a serious or fatal injury due to an explosion, of which 310 had an Incapacitating Injury, 171 were Seriously Injured, 208 were Very Seriously Injured and 275 died.In these figures, individuals are counted once per injury. If any individual has been injured on multiple events they are counted for each event where the injury reported is not linked to a previous event. Individuals who were injured due to an explosion and later died of their injuries have been included in the number of fatalities, not injuries.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours UK drones have flown over which countries in each year since 2010.

Penny Mordaunt: Since 2010, the UK's Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have operated in Afghanistan until 2014 and in Iraq and Syria from 2014.The number of hours flown by RPAS in Afghanistan can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-herrick-afghanistan-aircraft-statisticsSince 2014, Reaper has been flying in support of Op SHADER in Iraq and Syria. It is not possible to breakdown Reaper flying hours by country for Op SHADER. The table below provides the total number of hours flown: YearTotal Reaper flying hours flown in support of Op Shader20141,653201512,6982016 (up to and including 31 March 2016)2,509Total16,860

Air Force: Mental Health

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of active service on the mental health of (a) drone operators and (b) conventional pilots.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is committed to improving the mental health of our Armed Forces and has long recognised that Service life can cause stress. Support to all personnel (including pilots of Remotely Piloted Air Systems) is continually improving. We provide pre- and post-operational stress management training; a wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments; and initiatives such as Decompression, Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), and post operational stress management. Measures are in place to increase awareness at all levels of the risk of mental health disorders and indicators to help identify these.

Land Mines

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times have mines or improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of UK military bases caused (a) minor injuries and (b) serious or fatal injuries to non-military persons visiting the base in the last 10 years.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times have mines and improvised explosive devices been detected in the vicinity of UK military bases in the last 10 years.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times have mines and improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of UK military bases caused (a) minor injuries and (b) serious or fatal injuries to service personnel in the last 10 years.

Penny Mordaunt: Specific statistics regarding mines and IEDs either detected or causing injuries or fatalities in the vicinity of UK military bases are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Land Mines

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to purchase drones to detect mines and improvised explosive devices.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using drones to detect mines and improvised explosive devices.

Penny Mordaunt: The merits of the use of drones to detect mines and improvised explosive devices have been recognised by the UK's Armed Forces and there are a number of ongoing research projects which seek to refine possible techniques.While a number of technical challenges remain in integrating more complex detectors and sensors onto Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), there is potential for a UAS to be procured in future which could be used to detect mines and improvised explosive devices.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Procurement

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to purchase the (a) AeroVironment Raven, (b) AeroVironment Switchable and (c) Uvision Hero 30 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are no current plans to purchase any of the systems listed.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical staff assisting armed forces personnel with stress and other mental health issues are authorised to deal with personnel at each level of security clearance.

Mark Lancaster: All Ministry of Defence mental health staff have security clearance sufficient to enable them to provide appropriate mental healthcare to any member of the armed forces who requires it. If it were ever assessed that the attendance was required of medical personnel with a specific level of security clearance, arrangements would be made to provide this.

Royal Artillery

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the options are for the location of 7 Commando Battery Royal Artillery; and by what criteria the location of that regiment will be determined.

Penny Mordaunt: The future basing of 7 Commando Battery Royal Artillery, stationed at Royal Marines Condor in Arbroath, is currently under review.It is too early to provide details of this review.

Ministry of Defence: Taxis

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of vehicle hire in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The MOD uses hire and lease vehicles to transport personnel and equipment around the country, often to areas not readily accessible by public transport. The vehicles are used for different tasks, ranging from moving defence personnel and stores to support military operations or training exercises, to enabaling taskings such as mountain rescue and emergency support to the civil authorities.The MOD’s vehicle lease and hire in the UK is covered by the Phoenix contract with Babcock Land Limited, which was placed in April 2012. The department does not hold readily available and comparative spend data before this date. The cost to the MOD of vehicle lease and hire through the Phoenix contract is as follows:  FY15/16FY14/15FY13/14FY12/13£124.1m£132.4m£125.5m£101.9m  The MOD recently negotiated a new contract with Babcock Land Limited for the continued provision of its lease and hire cars, targeting savings of around £100m over the next six years through more efficient use of the MOD’s vehicle fleet.

Ministry of Defence: Computers

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department's laptop computers have been lost in the last year.

Mark Lancaster: Between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has reported that 39 laptops were lost.The MOD treats all losses of assets seriously. All reported losses are subjected to an initial security risk assessment, with further action taken on a proportionate basis.It is MOD policy that its laptops are to be encrypted to minimise the impact if a loss were to occur.

Patrol Craft

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Strategic Defence and Security Review, whether names have been found for the two additional river class offshore patrol vessels.

Mr Philip Dunne: At this stage, it is too early to comment on any potential names for the two additional River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels.

Patrol Craft

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of the contracts signed for the construction of the two additional river class offshore patrol vessels between his Department and BAE Systems.

Mr Philip Dunne: The contract to build the two additional Offshore Patrol Vessels referred to in the White Paper National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 has yet to be awarded.

Aircraft Carriers

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many defence delegations from foreign countries have visited the construction site of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

Mr Philip Dunne: Since 2011, there have been around 50 visits by defence delegations from foreign countries to the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers being built in Rosyth, reflecting the broad range of organisations from Allies and partner nations with a legitimate interest in the programme.

Veterans: Mesothelioma

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of his Department's ability to identify all veterans with mesothelioma.

Mark Lancaster: Veterans UK has written to existing War Disablement Pension claimants with mesothelioma to inform them of the new option of a lump sum. In addition to the announcements I made in this House on 16 December 2015 (Official Report, column 1629) and 29 February 2016 (Official Report, column 667), news stories were posted by the Ministry of Defence on the gov.uk website. At the same time we informed ex-Service organisations and asbestos support groups for them to bring the change to the attention of their members.We have also provided information on the War Pensions Scheme and new lump sum for mesothelioma to NHS England and the Devolved Administrations for the awareness of GPs.



Mesothelioma
(Word Document, 17.15 KB)

Aircraft Carriers

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has plans to sell one of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to a foreign country.

Mr Philip Dunne: On 5 September 2014 at the NATO Summit in Cardiff, the Prime Minister announced that the second carrier, would be brought into service, ensuring that we always have one carrier available, 100% of the time. This decision was re-affirmed in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. There is, therefore, no plan to sell one of the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers to a foreign country.

Disposal Services Authority

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the profits made by the Disposal Services Authority were in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) accounts are prepared in accordance with the Ministry of Defence Financial Accounting Processes and Procedures; the DSA reports financial receipts rather than profit.DSA equipment disposal receipts for the last three full financial years are provided in the table below: Financial YearNet Receipts (£ million)2012-201339.82013-201444.92014-201529.2 Note: Net receipts change year-on-year, dependent on what equipment is declared surplus to requirement.

Defence: Research

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department defines the commercial exploitation levy; and how much was received by his Department from that levy in financial years (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) defines the commercial exploitation levy as a form of royalty for any commercial sales of a design, use of special tooling or the granting of licences where the MOD has contributed to research and development costs. There are no restrictions on the categories of contracts to which the levy applies, but the vast majority relate to equipment, including software. This is because MOD research and development funding is largely in support of equipment development. The general aim of levy arrangements should be to take a consistent, simple and quick approach to obtaining the maximum return possible without harming sales. It is negotiated on a contract by contract basis and represents either a percentage of sales or a profit sharing agreement. The amount of levy received during the financial years requested is as follows: Year£ million (Ex-VAT)2012-138.72013-148.32014-1512.5

Islamic State

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the UK is taking to assist its allies in adapting to the recent use of hit-and-run tactics by Daesh.

Penny Mordaunt: We are aware that Daesh has deployed tactics, especially in Libya, to attack high profile targets like oil fields.These, and other attacks on Libyan infrastructure and towns, demonstrate the threat that Daesh poses to the stability of Libya and the wider region, and potentially to the UK and our interests. We need to tackle this threat wherever it arises, and that is why we are engaging the new Libyan government on this issue as a high priority. The UK is working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh.

World War I

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33754, on World War 1, what constitutes the extensive efforts referred to which are made to try and identify any recovered remains.

Mark Lancaster: Efforts to try and identify recovered remains, first concentrate on forensic analysis and examination of personal and regimental artefacts found alongside them. If the Regiment is identified, war diaries are reviewed. In addition, liaisons with archivists, historians and individual Service records are examined to aid investigations. If a small group of fallen soldiers with no known graves are identified for comparison, DNA testing may then take place, if required.

Armed Forces: Arctic

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the militerisation of the Arctic.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK respects the sovereign authority and policies of our Allies in the Arctic region, and their consensus is to maintain the Arctic as a largely demilitarised region while recognising the need to ensure security of sovereign territory. This approach is shared by NATO, which does not maintain a presence in the Arctic. Nevertheless, the UK maintains the capability to operate in extreme cold environments, including the Arctic, and together with Allies we continue to monitor military activity in the region.

Armed Conflict: Sexuality

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government's policy is on (a) including within Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions 1949 prohibition of the targeting of individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and (b) whether the consequences under international law of targeting individuals on the ground of sexual orientation are the same as targeting on the grounds of race, colour, religion or faith, sex and birth or wealth.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government does not target individuals based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Common Article 3 prohibits adverse distinction founded on race, colour religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

Russia: Arctic

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the scale of Russian military presence in the Arctic.

Penny Mordaunt: Russia has a significant military presence in the Arctic, comprising land bases and airfields, together with both surface and sub-surface maritime forces, including strategic missile submarines. In recent times we have observed an increase in personnel and the re-development of military infrastructure in the region. Linked to this has been an increase in the number and scale of exercises by the Russian Armed Forces. A new Arctic Command has been developed to oversee this increased footprint and operational tempo. Together with allies, we will continue to monitor Russian activity in the region.

NATO: Armed Forces

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK's contribution will be to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK has a leading role in the implementation of NATO's Readiness Action Plan, of which the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is a part. The UK will contribute to the VJTF in every year between now and 2021 including: a 1,000 strong battle group for the Spanish-led VJTF(Land) in 2016; we will act as the VJTF(Land) Framework Nation in 2017 leading a multinational force that includes up to 3,000 UK personnel, a brigade headquarters and a core package of "enablers", such as engineering and logistics capabilities; and, in 2020 we will provide a 1,000 strong battle group to the Polish-led VJTF(Land).For 2016 and 2017, the UK will also contribute Airborne Early Warning, Air to Air Refuelling, and Tornado and/or Typhoon aircraft to the VJTF(Air) commitment; and, for the VJTF(Maritime) element, we will provide HMS Ocean as the 2 Star Maritime Component Command, a frigate, and a mine countermeasures vessel.

Ministry of Defence: Secondment

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34932, what the grades were of the civilian employees seconded by his Department to (a) the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff and (b) the National Security Secretariat within the Cabinet Office during 2015.

Mark Lancaster: Given the nature of the work that the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff and the National Security Secretariat carry out, the Ministry of Defence is unable to disclose details of staff seconded to these areas for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Military Attachés

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Defence Attaché and Loan Service Centre was established; how many staff that Centre employs; and what that Centre's budget is for 2016-17.

Mr Julian Brazier: Staff for the Defence Attache and Loan Service Centre (DALSC) were recruited from January to March 2016. The Centre opened for limited operations on 4 April 2016, supporting 75 defence section staff currently undertaking language training or preparation for deployment. In the first quarter of 2017 the DALSC is expected to be at full capability. The Centre will then also provide support to Loan Service personnel.The DALSC employs 14 staff and, when running fully in 2017, their annual operating costs will be approximately £1.2 million. The establishment of the DALSC represents early progress against a Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 deliverable.

Military Attachés

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12325, how many defence attachés at what rank were employed at each of those locations on 1 April 2016; and whether each of those attachés has civilian assistants.

Mr Julian Brazier: All Defence Attaches (except those for Bahrain and the UK Mission to the UN) have civilian employees working within the Defence Section. The Defence Attaches by rank as at 1 April 2016 are listed in the attached table.



Defence Attaches
(Word Document, 18.69 KB)

NATO: Navy

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK's commitment is to NATO's Standing Naval Forces for 2016-17.

Mr Julian Brazier: We have increased our commitment to NATO's Standing Naval Forces this year.HMS IRON DUKE (a Type 23 frigate) is deployed on a six month assignment with the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1, the Task Group focussed towards the North Atlantic and Baltic. A Type 45 destroyer will join this Group for a further two months later in the year. Since March, we have also provided a Royal Fleet Auxiliary unit to SNMG2 to support the NATO monitoring and surveillance task in the Aegean.The Royal Navy (RN) will maintain a continuous presence in the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group (SNMCMG) 1, the mine clearance vessels which operate in the North Atlantic and Baltic, with a minehunter assigned throughout. This deployment is conducted by three minehunters in rotation for four months each: currently, HMS PEMBROKE is on task.In addition, this year the RN is providing the Commander UK Maritime Forces as the NATO Response Force 2 star Maritime Component Commander, with his flagship HMS OCEAN. The RN also contributes personnel to the multinational staffs of the Standing Naval Forces on a rotational basis.In 2017 the RN will assume command of two of the Standing Groups; providing the Commander and flagship for both SNMG2 and SNMCMG2 prioritised to the Mediterranean. The Command rotation will commence in July 2017 and run until June 2018. Additionally, the RN plans to provide a minehunter to SNMCMG1 throughout 2017, thereby providing UK presence in three of the four NATO Task Groups at some point during the year.

Air Force

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Royal Air Force aircraft and (b) manpower establishment is of (i) airborne early warning and (ii) air to air refuelling.

Penny Mordaunt: The type of aircraft and manpower establishment details are in the table below.  Aircraft TypeManpower EstablishmentAirborne Early WarningE3-D Sentry321Air to Air refuellingVoyager371

Yemen: Military Intervention

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment of airstrikes in Yemen since 2012.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has carried out no impact assessments of airstrikes in Yemen since 2012. Impact assessments are required for the implementation of domestic UK policy, not for military action abroad either by the UK or other countries.During the current Saudi-led Coalition operation in Yemen the MOD has monitored incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law violations using available information. We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations.

Ministry of Defence: Yemen

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any MOD personnel have been seconded to positions in Yemen since 2012.

Penny Mordaunt: There are currently no Ministry of Defence (MOD) personnel in Yemen. No MOD personnel have been seconded to the Yemeni government since 2012.

Trident

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's timetable is for the renewal of Trident.

Michael Fallon: The key elements of the UK Trident nuclear deterrent are the Vanguard-class submarines, the Trident D5 missile and the UK warhead. As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we expect the first Successor submarine to enter service in the early 2030s. A replacement warhead is not required until the late 2030s, possibly later. Given lead times, however, a decision on replacing the current warhead may be required later in this Parliament or early in the next. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend its current life to the 2060s.

Trident Missiles

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is technically possible for Trident missiles to be used by the UK without US knowledge and agreement.

Michael Fallon: Yes. The UK's nuclear deterrent is fully operationally independent.

Special Forces and Intelligence Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department makes available to UK Special Forces and intelligence agencies on the dissemination of intelligence relating to individuals who are at risk of targeted lethal strikes by the US.

Penny Mordaunt: It is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on our Special Forces or intelligence activities.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has provided support to the US administration for its remotely piloted aircraft system strikes in Yemen.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK Government has not provided support to the US for Remotely Piloted Aircraft System strikes in Yemen.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many small and medium-sized businesses were direct suppliers to his Department during the years (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in his Department's supply chain, other than direct suppliers, in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

Mr Philip Dunne: Small businesses are an important source of innovation and flexibility, as both direct and indirect suppliers, to meet our defence and security requirements. The estimated number of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) directly supplying the Ministry of Defence (MOD) during financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 is provided below. The figures for 2015-16 are not yet available. MOD Direct Expenditure with SMEsEstimated Number of SME Suppliers2013-147,0002014-155,400 The MOD spent 19.4% (direct and indirect) of its procurement budget with SMEs in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The MOD has a new 25% target for SME procurement spend by 2020. The information has been taken from the Department's published Official Statistics on Trade, Industry and Contracts which summarises MOD contracting with industry. Further information about MOD expenditure with SMEs is available on the Gov.UK website at the respective links:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2015 and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-industry-trade-and-contracts-2014 The MOD does not hold information on the number of SMEs providing indirect supplies through the supply chain.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which contractors his Department has a contract with either directly or indirectly by sub-contract which is valued at £10,000 or more; and what the (a) value and (b) timetable is of each such contract.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence currently has around 4,000 contracts with suppliers of all sizes. I am withholding the full list of contracts as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. Under the Transparency Agenda, details of contracts awarded over £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder, which can be located at the link: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of defence expenditure was spent through small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2013-14.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes data on direct expenditure with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), excluding its trading funds, in the Finance & Economics Annual Bulletin: Trade, Industry & Contracts Statistics on the Gov.UK website. The final figures for financial years 2014-15 and 2013-14 are available at the link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-trade-and-industry-index. The final figures for financial year 2015-16 are not yet available.The MOD does not hold data on expenditure with SMEs through the supply chain (indirect expenditure). The Cabinet Office has published indicative indirect expenditure with SMEs, collated from spend figures reported by suppliers, in their publication 'Central Government direct and indirect expenditure with SMEs'. Figures for 2014-15 and 2013-14' are available at the respective links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/central-government-spend-with-smes-2014-to-2015https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/central-government-spend-with-smes-2013-to-2014.Figures released by the Cabinet Office in this publication indicate that MOD direct and indirect spend with SMEs was 19.4% in each year. The figures for 2015-16 are not yet available.The MOD has agreed a new target with the Cabinet Office of 25% procurement spend (both direct and indirect) with SMEs by 2020.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many called-in planning decisions he made a decision in three months or longer in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The attached table below shows the number of called-in planning decisions issued by the Secretary of State during each of the last 10 years issued more than three months after the report was received. Year decision was issuedDecisions issued more than 3 months after Inspector’s report was received1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007101 April 2007 – 31 March 200891 April 2008 – 31 March 2009131 April 2009 – 31 March 201041 April 2010 – 31 March 201151 April 2011 – 31 March 201221 April 2012– 31 March 201331 April 2013– 31 March 201421 April 2014– 31 March 201591 April 2015– 31 March 20164

Starter Home Initiative

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of housing development sites which were previously seen as financially unviable that may now be developed under the Starter Home initiative.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not hold this information. The Housing and Planning Bill and national planning policy changes will set the framework to deliver our starter homes commitment; and once in force will apply to all housing development planning applications. Section 106 agreements may of course be re-negotiated at any time by mutual consent. Planning guidance is clear that local planning authorities should be flexible in their requirements, taking into account site specific circumstances and changing circumstances, including regarding viability.

Starter Home Initiative

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Starter Home scheme on the level of home ownership among people under 40 years of age.

Brandon Lewis: Over the last twenty years, the proportion of under 40 year olds who own their home has fallen by over a third from 61% to 38%, and the average house price to earnings ratio for successful first time buyers is now 4.3 compared to 2.7 in 1993.The Government is determined to change this and ensure that more young people can afford to buy their own home. That’s why we are committed to building 200,000 starter homes to provide affordable homes for purchase with a minimum 20% discount for first-time buyers under the age of 40.Starter homes are an important innovation to improve the level of home ownership in this age category.

Housing Ombudsman Service

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many cases have been received by the Housing Ombudsman in each year since 2009-10.

Brandon Lewis: The Housing Ombudsman is an independent body whose objective it is to resolve disputes involving tenants and leaseholders of social landlords and their voluntary members.The levels of complaints and enquiries have increased year on year since 2006 and there was a 64% increase between 2012-13 and 2014-15, which is due to an extension of The Housing Ombudsman’s remit to cover local housing authorities. The total number of enquiries and complaints received by the Housing Ombudsman are provided in the table below:2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-168,3608,6439,0109,95812,78216,33715,984The majority of these cases are resolved informally but the following table shows the number of formal determinations made by the Housing Ombudsman each year. 2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Within jurisdiction458559501543520579976Outside jurisdiction10873104100160240125Total5666326056436808191101

Housing Ombudsman Service

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the annual budget of the Housing Ombudsman has been in each year since 2009-10.

Brandon Lewis: The Housing Ombudsman, is funded by subscriptions from member landlords, and the majority of members (83%) are private organisations.The annual budget of the Housing Ombudsman in each year since 2009-10 is as follows: 2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Budget Expenditure£3,333,971£3,537,072£3,910,742£4,425,735£4,886,112£4,913,500£5,085,751Actual Expenditure£3,198,4783,239,693£3,374,908£4,280,909£4,240,126£4,447,759£4,746,068The Localism Act 2011 extended the jurisdiction / remit of the Housing Ombudsman from 2013 to local authorities as well as housing associations, resulting in increases in the number of cases, dealt with by the Housing Ombudsman.

Housing Ombudsman Service

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what average time the Housing Ombudsman has taken to complete a case in each year since 2009-10.

Brandon Lewis: The Housing Ombudsman is an independent body whose objective it is to resolve disputes involving tenants and leaseholders of social landlords and their voluntary members. The average times taken to complete a case, which are within the Housing Ombudsman’s formal remit are provided below.2009-10: 23 weeks2010-11: 15 weeks2011-12: 17 weeks2012-13: 23 weeks2013-14: Not available2014-15: Not available2015-16: 41 weeksThe levels of complaints and enquiries have increased year on year since 2006 and there was a 64% increase between 2012-13 and 2014-15, which is partly due to an extension of The Housing Ombudsman’s remit to cover local housing authorities.At a DCLG Select Committee hearing, in January 2016, the new Housing Ombudsman made a commitment to reduce the backlog of older cases within their formal remit dating back from previous years. Very substantial progress has been made and by 31 March there were only 9 cases outstanding over 12 months old.

Supported Housing

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Supported Accommodation review on the commissioning of services for vulnerable people.

Brandon Lewis: We understand the importance of ensuring that those people living in supported accommodation, who are generally the most vulnerable members of our society, receive appropriate protections.My Department, along with the Department for Work and Pensions, have jointly commissioned an evidence review of the supported housing sector. The review will report shortly, and we will continue to work with and listen to providers as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.In the meantime, we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation, from the rent reduction measures, and from the Local Housing Allowance cap.

Housing Associations

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what procedures his Department has to ensure that housing associations maintain an adequate level of housing stock available for key workers.

Brandon Lewis: Housing associations have ambitious plans to increase their housing stock over the next few years. The Government is supporting this with £8 billion of funding to deliver over 400,000 affordable homes. This will extend the opportunity of home ownership to more hard working families, including key workers, through measures aimed at doubling the number of first time buyers. The funding prospectus for the new Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme was published on Wednesday 13 April.The voluntary Right to Buy between the Government and the housing association sector will give another 1.3 million families the chance to purchase a home at Right to Buy level discounts. Homes sold to tenants under this agreement will be replaced on a one for one basis using the proceeds from the sale of the property.

Social Services: Stockport

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support the provision of adult social care in the Stockport local authority area.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government is providing a package of support - worth up to £3.5 billion a year by 2019-20 - to ensure councils are able to support some of their older and most vulnerable residents. This includes an extra £1.5 billion through the improved Better Care Fund, which will continue to bring together funding and services across health and social care to support the provision of integrated care for older and vulnerable people. Councils will also have the additional freedom to introduce a social care precept onto council tax bills, which will raise up to £2 billion. This year alone, Stockport will raise an additional £2,534,000 through the social care precept and receive £21,276,000 through the Better Care Fund.

Supported Housing

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to provide information to enable future planning by supported housing providers during the next 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: The supported housing sector provides valuable support to some of our country’s most vulnerable people and we recognise the important role that it plays.We are currently undertaking an evidence review of the supported housing sector, which is due to report shortly. We will work with the sector as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.In the meantime, we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation from the social rent reduction policy and from the Local Housing Allowance cap.

Shopping Centres: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking in Romford to encourage the use of local shopping centres.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government is committed to helping our high streets and town centres, including shopping centres, thrive and is supporting them through a £1 billion package of investment, which includes:targeted tax breaks;the doubling of small business rate relief;sensible planning changes to allow businesses to respond flexibly to changing market conditions;and taking action to tackle over-zealous parking practices.As a result, we have seen some very positive signs this that our local centres are fighting back. Vacancy rates, including those in shopping centres, are in decline, retail sales are up for the 35th consecutive month, the longest period of sustained growth since 2008.The Future High Street Forum is a joint partnership between government and the retail, leisure and property industries. It is leading an ambitious programme of work, including looking at town centre restructuring and the digital high street, to support town centres to meet the changing needs of today’s consumer. The broader retail sector can thrive if it adapts to these changing needs.We have also run the Great British High Street Awards since 2014, which has championed the hard work of local businesses and communities around the country. With nearly 200,000 votes cast in the public voting element in the 2015 Awards, the competition proves how much local people cherish our high streets and town centres. I hope Romford will consider entering in the 2016 Awards when it opens later this year.

Window Blinds: Safety

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require private landlords to fit safety devices on blinds to ensure children's safety.

Brandon Lewis: Government has already taken steps to protect children, having worked with various sector bodies and lobby groups to revise the European standard EN 13120 (performance and safety requirements for internal blinds). This means all blinds placed on the market, since February 2014, have to display warning labels on the product, as well as on the packaging, and include safety devices to ensure blind cords are kept out of the reach of young children. It also imposes a maximum cord and chain length where there is a likely hood of young children (0-42 months) being present, which includes residential properties and public places like hotels, hospitals, schools, shops, places of worship and nurseries.Local authorities also have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to inspect properties and where hazards are identified require the landlord to rectify them.

Cornish Language: Education

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support the learning of the Cornish language.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much government funding has been allocated to Cornish language schemes in the last five years.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many regional or minority languages are recognised by his Department; and how many of those languages receive funding for language programmes.

James Wharton: The United Kingdom has recognised seven languages under the Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots, Cornish and Manx. Cornish is the only language in England to have this status and since April 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government has provided £650,000 to Cornwall Council for the development of the Cornish Language.

Social Rented Housing: Homelessness

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were homeless but did not qualify for priority access to social housing in each of the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

Private Rented Housing: Low Incomes

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of tenants in private housing who have only sufficient funds to cover one week's rent.

Brandon Lewis: The English Housing Survey provides data on private renters’ housing costs, income and savings but is not detailed enough to make an assessment of how many private renters only have sufficient funds to cover one week’s rent.

Floods: Lake District

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects his Department to submit a final estimation of the damage caused by flooding in the South Lakes area to the European Commission as part of the UK's application to the EU Solidarity Fund.

James Wharton: The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February. We are in the process of refining our cost estimates and figures and will provide a further update once that process is complete.

HM Treasury

EU Budget: South East

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the value of financial contributions to the EU in 2015 that were attributable to London and the South East of England.

Mr David Gauke: Contributions to the EU are paid directly from HM Government and thus are not attributable to any one part of the UK.

Money Laundering: Estate Agents

Sadiq Khan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many estate agents in (a) England and Wales and (b) London have been penalised for failing to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

Harriett Baldwin: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is unable to provide any information which would identify its customers. The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 gives HMRC a duty of confidentiality which applies to all information it holds in connection with its functions.In 2014-15 HMRC issued 677 penalties to the total value of £768,000. This is for all HMRC supervised businesses in the UK. The total includes estate agency businesses which HMRC supervised from 1 April 2014. This is three times the total value of penalties issued in 2013-14.

London Stock Exchange: Deutsche Borse

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the economic security implications of the proposed merger between the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Borse.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the honourable Member to my previous written answer 34500 of 25 April 2016.

Tax Evasion: Prosecutions

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies have been prosecuted for tax evasion during the last 10 years; and what revenue has been recovered as a result of those prosecutions.

Mr David Gauke: The information is not held in the form requested.

Tax Evasion: Prosecutions

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have been prosecuted for tax evasion during the last 10 years; and what revenue has been recovered as a result of those prosecutions.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) holds a central record of the number of individuals subject to criminal investigation for tax evasion, together with subsequent prosecutions covering the period from 2011/12 to 2014/15. HMRC does not hold a central record of the number of prosecutions and convictions broken down in this way for earlier years. The total number of criminal prosecutions of individuals for tax evasion during the period 2011/12 to 2014/15 was 2404. 'Revenue Loss Prevented' is the HMRC management information measure recorded in such cases and the total amount of Revenue Loss Prevented from 2011/12 to 2014/15 was £ 5,070,538,527.

Productivity

Matthew Pennycook: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the methodology used to measure productivity in the UK.

Greg Hands: The Independent Review of UK Economic Statistics, commissioned by the Chancellor and Minister for the Cabinet Office last summer, suggested that fuller measurement of the economy could add between one-third and two-thirds of a percent to the growth to UK GDP. Better measurement of the digital economy, intangible investment and the sharing economy could therefore improve measurement of output, and thus productivity. The Chancellor welcomed the report’s findings at Budget 2016 and committed to invest over £10m in a new hub for data science, and a centre for excellence for improving measurement of the modern economy.

Digital Technology: Productivity

Matthew Pennycook: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraphs 3.16 to 3.26 of the report, Independent review of UK economic statistics, published on 11 March 2016, what plans he has to improve the accuracy of estimates of the contribution of the digital economy to UK productivity.

Greg Hands: Professor Sir Charles Bean’s Independent Review of Economic Statistics highlighted the importance of proper measurement of the digital economy. To enable the Office for National Statistics to develop world-leading analytical and digital capabilities in economic measurement, the government will invest over £10m in a new hub for data science and a centre for excellence in economic measurement in line with the recommendations.

Rugby: World Cup

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Northern Powerhouse strategy will include his pledge in paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016 to support the UK's bid for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Department of Health regarding the UK's bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on supporting the UK's bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Rugby Football League on his support for the UK's bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.256 of Budget 2016, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Department for Education on his support for the UK's bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Greg Hands: As stated in Spending Review 15 the government supports the ambition to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in the Northern Powerhouse. Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Child Benefit: Foreign Nationals

William Wragg: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 April 2016 to Question 32664 and the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 33678, and with reference to paragraph 2.113 of the report, The best of both worlds: the UK's special status in a reformed EU, published in February 2016, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of child benefit payments paid to non-UK citizens in each financial year since 2010-11.

Damian Hinds: Around 7m people are receiving Child Benefit. To extract and collate the value of all payments made to EU migrants for children living outside the UK in the format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Government: Assets

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34917, if he will provide a breakdown of the £25 billion total receipts from asset sales in financial year 2015-16 by (a) individual asset, (b) the amount raised by each asset and (c) the buyer of that asset.

Mr David Gauke: The following table provides a breakdown of major asset sales in 2015-16 excluding Lloyds:AssetAmount raised (£bn)BuyerRoyal Mail1.3Sale of sharesUKAR13.0Cerberus Capital Management LPLloyds Banking Group7.4*Sale of sharesRBS2.1Sale of sharesKing Cross JV0.4AustralianSuperEurostar0.8Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Hermes Infrastructure*Figure reflects 2015-16 sales through the ongoing Lloyds trading plan as at most recent announcement date (4th December 2015).

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total amount of income paid to UK citizens living in other EU countries except Ireland which derived from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the total amount remitted to non-UK citizens living in other EU countries except Ireland, by non-UK citizens from the EU working in the UK in the last year.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of UK citizens living in other EU countries excluding Ireland, derived incomes from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Mr David Gauke: The information requested is not available.

Revenue and Customs: East Kilbride

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral contribution of 23 March 2016, Official Report, column 1558, when his Department plans to carry out an impact assessment of the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices on the local economy of East Kilbride.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has based its decisions on the location of its future regional centres on a number of key principles including access to a pipeline of talent and the need to retain its current staff and skills. As part of its initial planning HMRC conducted high level People Impact Assessments to assist the process. HMRC plans to update the Impact Assessments when one to one discussions have been held between staff and their managers ahead of any office move which may affect them. The one to one discussions will establish whether or not they can move and the level of support which will be required, including the potential impact on people with protected characteristics. HMRC plans to retain a presence in East Kilbride as a transitional site until 2025-26.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 22 February 2016, Official Report columns 24-5 whether his Department plans to release further analysis of the economic benefits of the UK staying in a reformed EU.

Mr David Gauke: The Treasury’s document published on the 18th April, was a rigorous and objective assessment of the economic impact of EU membership and the alternative. As stated in this document there will be a further document with an independent assessment of the short term implications of leaving the EU.

Diesel Fuel: Rebates

Gavin Robinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HM Revenue and Customs plans to publish the one-year progress report on implementation of the Accutrace S10 Fuel Marker.

Damian Hinds: As stated in the 6 month report, published on 4 November 2015, HMRC will continue to monitor the impact of the new fuel marker and will publish a further report on the first 12 months as soon as the data is available

Public Works Loan Board

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total outstanding debt liabilities held with the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) are for each local authority in England, Wales and Scotland; how much of the total of PWLB debt still requires servicing on the terms on which it was taken out between 1988 and 1998; how much was taken out between 1999 and 2003; how many separate liabilities from 1988 to 1998, inclusive, each local authority holds; how many separate liabilities from 1999 to 2003 each local authority holds; and what the average rate of interest paid on these liabilities is for each period.

Greg Hands: Information in relation to total outstanding PWLB debt owed is available from the Debt Management Office (DMO). The DMO website publishes details of loans advanced from 2010 onwards. The other information requested in respect of outstanding PWLB loans for each local authority from 1988 to 1998 and from 1999 and 2003 and average rates of interest are available on request from the DMO.

Universal Credit: PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34477, whether it is possible to correct errors in PAYE real-time data submitted by employers before the point at which such errors affect universal credit claimants.

Mr David Gauke: Data validation rules are built in to stop obvious errors at the point of filing and allow customers to correct submissions. Where errors are made, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a dedicated team who work with employers. If HMRC spots something is incorrect, it and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will work with the employer to correct that information. If the employer realises they have made a mistake, they have the opportunity to submit correct information. In addition, HMRC and DWP continually monitor the quality of Real Time Information to understand why errors occur

Academies: VAT

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether sixth form colleges will be affected by VAT regulations if they convert to a 16 to 19 academy.

Mr David Gauke: Sixth form colleges that become academies will be subject to the same VAT rules as other academies.

Patents: Corporation Tax

Rob Marris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government expects to publish its response to the consultation on the Patent Box.

Mr David Gauke: We have reviewed all the responses to the consultation, which have fed into considerations of the detailed design of the new Patent Box rules. We are continuing to engage with stakeholders on relevant aspects of the new rules. We expect that the government’s response to the consultation will be published later this year

Tax Evasion

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33455, how many people are employed to investigate tax evasion in HM Revenue and Customs' (a) affluent unit and (b) high net worth unit.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Custom’s 26,000 (full-time equivalent employees) strong enforcement and compliance workforce of risk and intelligence analysts, compliance officers and fraud investigators tackle the full range of compliance risks ranging from hidden economy to the wealthy.

Revenue and Customs

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many needs enhanced enquiries HM Revenue and Customs received in the last year.

Mr David Gauke: The Needs Enhanced Support Unit handles enquiries from vulnerable customers via telephone calls, face to face appointments and letter. In the last year it dealt with 100,166 telephone enquiries and 22,222 face to face visits to either customer’s homes, commercial venues or Job Centres. In addition it has dealt with 17,252 pieces of post.

Revenue and Customs: Location

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what current locations and sites have been identified as new offices for HM Revenue and Customs under its building our future plan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will open regional centres in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stratford and Croydon. In addition there will be four specialist sites, in Telford, Worthing, Dover and at the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, for work that cannot be done elsewhere as well as a London Headquarters. HMRC is considering a number of sites at each regional centre location and will give more details when commercial negotiations have finished.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Green Deal Finance Company

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the cost of establishing the Green Deal Finance Company in (a) payments to consultants and (b) other costs.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost is of closing the Green Deal Finance Company in (a) payments to consultants and (b) other costs.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC has made no payments to consultants in establishing the Green Deal Finance Company, but in other costs payments of £10,294.26 in legal support were made in 2014/15. The Green Deal Finance Company has not been closed. It is not currently issuing new loans, but continues to collect repayments from its existing loan book. In July 2015, DECC took the decision that the case for further investment was not strong enough in terms of value for money. This decision has no impact on existing Green Deal Finance Plans or existing Green Deal Home Improvement Fund applications and vouchers. The Green Deal Finance Company is a private company and has its own internal costs which are not included in this estimate.

Energy: Prices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consumers are placed on the cheapest tariff available by their energy supplier.

Andrea Leadsom: Strong competition in the retail energy market is the best way to ensure that customers are on the cheapest tariff that meets their particular circumstances. The Government and Ofgem have been working to improve competition and there are now 39 companies supplying energy to households across Great Britain. The Government supports the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the retail energy market and we will take forward appropriate implementation of its final recommendations which are due to be published shortly. We recognise that vulnerable consumers may need support to engage in the market and that is why we have provided £3 million over the last three years to community organisations through the Big Energy Saving Network.

Energy: Prices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to reduce consumer energy prices.

Andrea Leadsom: There are now 33 independent suppliers for households to choose from in additional to the six largest suppliers, giving more choice than ever before. By switching from a standard tariff to the best fixed, direct debit deal on the market, many people could save around £300 and some could save even more. We have already made it simpler and quicker to switch supplier and are working towards next day switching. The Government supports the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the retail energy market and we will take forward appropriate implementation of its final recommendations which are due to be published shortly.

Energy: Meters

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to ensure that gas smart meter installers check for carbon monoxide after fitting the meter and the appliance has been relit.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to ensure that gas smart meter installers (a) take steps if they have safety concerns about a gas appliance and carbon monoxide poisoning and (b) are given the power to make such appliances safe.

Andrea Leadsom: While no specific test for carbon monoxide is undertaken once a gas smart meter has been installed and a gas appliance re-commissioned, energy suppliers are required to comply with a number of existing regulations and other requirements when fitting gas smart meters in their customers’ premises that relate to the safety of installations and gas appliances. These include the Gas Safety (Installations and Use) Regulations (1998) and the Meter Asset Managers’ Code of Practice (MAMCOP) which set out the roles, responsibilities and expectations of meter installers when safety issues are identified during meter installation visits. Energy UK has also issued a Good Practice Guidance document to suppliers for issues found during meter exchange visits. The Guidance outlines the principles of what suppliers will do for their domestic customers where safety issues are identified during a meter installation visit. A key principle is that whenever a safety issue is identified, either with the gas (or electricity) installation or with an unsafe appliance or other equipment, the meter installer’s first priority is seek to make the situation safe. The guidance also sets out the steps installers should take when either an emergency or non-emergency issue is identified with customer or landlord-owned appliances or equipment. Energy suppliers must also comply with the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice. This states that the installer should inform the customer about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and the need to regularly have all gas appliances serviced and checked by a Gas Safe Registered engineer (http://www.smicop.co.uk/SitePages/Home.aspx). Suppliers are also required as part of their licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to provide, free of charge, information about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the benefits of fitting an audible carbon monoxide alarm complying with a relevant British or European safety standard to their domestic customers at least once a year. In cases where customers are concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning they should call the Gas Emergency Helpline on 0800 111 999 and switch off the appliance and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve. They should also ask a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect their gas appliances and flues to see if there is a dangerous problem.

Housing: Insulation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to increase the installation of home insulation.

Andrea Leadsom: We have made a commitment to insulate 1 million more homes this Parliament. We are providing support for households to improve their energy efficiency through a reformed domestic supplier obligation (ECO) from April 2017. This will run for five years, with a value of around £640 million per year. Additionally, our Private Rented Sector Energy Efficiency Regulations, made law from March 2015, will help domestic tenants in the private rented sector by making it illegal to rent out a property with an energy efficiency rating below band E from April 2018 onwards.

Nuclear Power Stations

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with her Japanese counterpart on the involvement of Japanese companies in new nuclear power projects in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom: I have just returned from Japan where I met Japanese counterparts during the G7 Energy Ministerial for positive discussions on energy matters including nuclear. Senior officials also have regular dialogue with Japanese counterparts including in relation to the proposed new nuclear power stations at Wylfa and Moorside, which are led by Japanese companies.

Nuclear Reactors: Cumbria

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the regulatory approval processes, including the Generic Design Assessment, to be completed for proposed new nuclear reactors at Moorside in Cumbria.

Andrea Leadsom: The regulatory approval process for new nuclear reactors proposed for construction in the UK is run by the UK’s independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agencies. DECC does not direct or intervene in the assessment process. Generic Design Assessment of the AP1000 reactor proposed for construction at the Moorside site in Cumbria is targeted for completion in Q1 2017. NuGen has not yet made applications for site specific regulatory approvals, such as licensing and environmental permits, but DECC expects these to be made in good time, targeting completion for 2018.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to classify grass as a crop for the purpose of consideration of biogas options in the Renewable Heat Incentive consultation.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC has consulted on changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive. Whilst there is no specific category for “crop”, one proposal is to limit payments for biogas or biomethane derived from feedstocks other than wastes or residues. Grass grown for the purpose of producing biogas or biomethane would not be categorised as a waste or residue and therefore would be subject to limited payment according to the proposal set out in the consultation. The final decisions will be set out in the Government Response later this year, having taken into account the views and evidence submitted in response to the consultation.

Offshore Industry

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to ensure that Ministers and officials of her Department meet trades unions comprising the offshore co-ordinating group to discuss industrial relations and associated features of the oil and gas industry.

Andrea Leadsom: Ministers and officials in the Department and in the Oil and Gas Authority are engaging with Trade Unions as part of our continued work to encourage investment and to support jobs in the oil and gas industry.

Nuclear Reactors: Wales

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the regulatory approval processes, including the Generic Design Assessment, to be completed for proposed new nuclear reactors at Wylfa in Wales.

Andrea Leadsom: The regulatory approval process for new nuclear reactors proposed for construction in the UK is run by the UK’s independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). DECC does not direct or intervene in the assessment process. Generic Design Assessment of the ABWR reactor proposed for construction at the Wylfa site in Wales is targeted for completion in Q4 2017. Horizon has not yet made applications for site specific regulatory approvals, such as licensing and environmental permits, but DECC expects these to be made in good time, targeting completion for 2018.

Oil: Exploration

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2016 to Question 34372, whether Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189 was one of the licences included in the Deed of Variation dated 4 December 2013, allowing the drilling of 10 wells to a depth of 800 metres and three wells to 3,000 metres on 13 specified licences.

Andrea Leadsom: A Deed of Variation was made on 4 December 2013 in respect of Licence PEDL189. It amended both the Licence’s Initial Term Work Programme and the date at which the Licence’s Initial Term would expire. A further variation has been sought by the licensee, and while it remains the case as I said in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 22 April that no such variation has been agreed, that request is under consideration from the Oil and Gas Authority and a decision will be made shortly: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-04-18/34369/.

Cybercrime

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions her Department has had with external organisations on the development of the new cyber security strategy.

Andrea Leadsom: The new National Cyber Security Strategy is being developed by Cabinet Office in close cooperation with DECC and other Government Departments. Stakeholders from across the public sector, industry and academia have fed in their views. The strategy will set out how the Government will work in partnership to strengthen the UK’s defences, enhance our capabilities and develop the cyber security sector. DECC continues to engage with external stakeholders on a range of issues and as part of our contribution to this strategy.

Cabinet Office

Science: Finance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of representations from the science community to his Department's plans to insert a new clause into all new and renewed grant agreements.

Matthew Hancock: As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers' money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.

Lobbying

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations his Department has received on the potential effect on universities and university research of the proposed ban on public funds being used to lobby Government.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to exempt universities and university research from the proposed ban on non-government organisations using funds from Government to lobby Government.

Matthew Hancock: As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers' money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.

Older People

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will consult on setting up a Commissioner for Older People.

Mr Oliver Letwin: There is no current plan for Government to consult on setting up a Commissioner for Older Persons.

Iron and Steel: China

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much UK public money has been used to purchase steel from loss-making state-owned Chinese steel making companies (a) through the Crown Commercial Service and (b) in total in the last 10 years.

Matthew Hancock: The Crown Commercial Service has not awarded any contracts for the procurement of steel.Information on departmental spend on steel is not held centrally.All departments are now required to implement new guidelines, which we published on 30 October last year, on how government buyers should source steel for major projects so that the true value of UK steel is taken into account in major procurement decisions.

Anti-corruption Summit

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Ministers will represent the Government at the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016.

Matthew Hancock: The Prime Minister will represent the UK at the London Anti-Corruption Summit.

Civil Servants: Disclosure of Information

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the declaration and publication by civil servants of financial interests other than gifts and hospitality.

Matthew Hancock: There are no plans to publish such declarations which are personal information.

Lobbying

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the exemption from the anti-lobbying clause is limited to Research Councils, National Academies and the Higher Education Funding Council for England; and if he will delay the implementation of that clause until a full consultation has taken place.

Matthew Hancock: As I made clear in the House on 27 April, we are continuing to consider the comments of all interested parties, ahead of the introduction into grant agreements of the clause aimed at protecting taxpayers' money from being wasted on government lobbying government. We are pausing the implementation, pending a review of the representations made, and to give further time to consider any necessary adjustments to the wording of the clause, or the policy on its implementation, to help to deliver this policy in the best possible way for all involved.

Cabinet Office: Staff

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent staff currently work in (a) the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff and (b) the National Security Secretariat; and how many such staff have not previously been employed as civil servants.

Mr Oliver Letwin: Staff in the JIO are drawn from the Cabinet Office and across Government including the MOD, FCO, and Armed Forces. They are employed on a range of terms and conditions including formal and informal, short and long term secondments. In 2004 the Rt Hon The Lord Butler of Brockwell reported that its size was “some 30 senior and middle-ranking officials”; it is currently larger than that but, given the nature of the work that they do, I am unable, for security reasons, to give further detail. There are about 200 people in the National Security Secretariat, similarly drawn from a range of Departments and employed on a range of terms and conditions. Again, for security reasons, I am unable to give details on the previous employment of staff in either organisation, but both draw on external experts in their business.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the powers of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration  and (b) merging the office of that Commissioner with the office of the Health Service Commission for England.

John Penrose: The Government is committed to the reform and modernisation of the public service ombudsman sector. In December 2015 we published our response to the consultation on the recommendations made by Robert Gordon’s report on this matter, and we intend to publish draft legislation to create a new Public Service Ombudsman, which will encompass the existing jurisdictions of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman.

Armed Conflict: Syria

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33817, what the Joint Intelligence Committee's current estimate is of the number of non-extremist opposition fighters in Syria.

Mr Oliver Letwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on 21 April 2016 to UIN 33817.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what spending will be incurred on the EU referendum for each of the proposed lines of expenditure.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the budget available to the Government is to spend on the EU referendum for each expenditure line and expenditure type.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Government Departments: Pay

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working for central government departments have been paid through a limited company in the last year for which figures are available.

Matthew Hancock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Members: Correspondence

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to the letter of 24 March 2016 on ethical procurement from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield.

Matthew Hancock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department has had with representatives from the higher education and further education sector on the EU referendum.

John Penrose: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are routinely published in transparency returns available on the Gov.uk website.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the death in service benefits are for civil servants.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many families of deceased civil servants received death in service benefits in each of the last six years.

Matthew Hancock: Civil servants are eligible to be a member of either the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) or the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS) subject to when they joined the Civil Service. Depending on which scheme they are in, a lump sum death benefit of either two or three times the civil servant’s final pay is payable on their death in service, plus a pension to a surviving spouse or civil partner and any eligible children. Details of the benefits payable are in the rules of the schemes which are available at http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/about-us/scheme-rulesThe lump sum payable on death in service is payable to whoever the scheme member has nominated to receive it (this can be an individual or a corporate body such as a charity). The number of death benefit lump sums paid in each of the last 6 years is as follows:Scheme Year Number of death in service cases2010/2011 11952011/2012 11192012/2013 10072013/2014 9042014/2015 6642015/2016 447

Civil Servants: Death

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants died in service in each of the last six years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Civil Servant Deaths
(PDF Document, 61.22 KB)

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations he has made to the Electoral Commission on resolving recent problems with registration on aboutmyvote.co.uk related to the EU referendum.

John Penrose: Cabinet Office officials have worked closely with colleagues at the Electoral Commission to ensure the messaging on aboutmyvote.co.uk informs electors that they do not need to re-register for the EU referendum.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had the Electoral Commission on ensuring that people are able to check whether they are registered on aboutmyvote.co.uk related to the EU referendum.

John Penrose: A registration look up tool that allowed electors to check their registration status would reduce duplicate applications. Technical and practical barriers prevent its implementation before the EU referendum.

Government Departments: Telecommunications

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will update guidance on the use of personal electronic communications to conduct official Government business to include the use of WhatsApp and other instant messaging services.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Britain Stronger in Europe

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish details of all the correspondence between his Department and the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign since 1 September 2015.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) temporary staff and (b) consultants his Department has used to support his Office in promoting the Government's position on the EU referendum.

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many additional staff have been employed to work on EU-related matters in which Government Departments (a) over the last 12 months and (b) since January 2016.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex on 11 February to UIN: 26361, and to the hon. Member for Clacton on 18 April to UIN: 33727.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) polling, (b) focus groups and (c) other research the Government has commissioned on the EU referendum since 1 January 2015; and what the cost to the public purse of all such research has been to date.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigrants: EEA Nationals

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate the Government has made of the number of migrants from (a) EEA member states and (b) EEA countries projected to migrate to the UK in each year from 2016 to 2030.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - EEA Members
(PDF Document, 69.27 KB)

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Questions 33531 and 33450, what total budget has been set aside by the Government to promote its position on the EU Referendum; how much of that budget has been spent; and how much future spending is planned until 23 June 2016.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 33531 and of 14 April 2016 to Question 33450, what further government activities are planned to promote the Government's position on the EU Referendum prior to 23 June 2016.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cabinet Committees: Airports

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Cabinet's Economic Affairs (Airports) sub-committee has met in 2016.

Mr Oliver Letwin: In line with previous answers on this topic, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when and how often they meet, and which Ministers have attended, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Immigrants: EEA Nationals

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 32897, how many nationals of other EEA member states of school age migrated to the UK in each year since 2000; from which countries those people migrated; and what nationality those people were.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - EEA Migrated
(PDF Document, 308.72 KB)

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33450, for what reason the website eureferendum.gov.uk will still be available to view during the period from 27 May 2016 to the date of the EU referendum.

John Penrose: It is important to ensure that the public continue to have access to factual information throughout the Referendum campaign. The Government has been clear that it will comply fully with the statutory restrictions in place during the 28 day period from 27th May 2016. No new content will be added to the EUreferendum.gov.uk website during this period.

Government Departments: Equality

Sue Hayman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Secondary Legislation Scrutiny on 19 January 2016, Question 7, under what circumstances government departments are permitted not to publish equality analyses which are referred to in government consultation documents.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The Public Sector Equality Duty requires Departments to pay due regard to equality aspects of decisions. It is up to each Department to decide whether to publish their analysis.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rabbits: Diseases

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of recent trends in the prevalence of myxomatosis in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Myxomatosis is not a notifiable disease. As such the Government has not made an assessment of its incidence recently.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on assessing the effect on air quality and levels of emissions from motor vehicles of data published by Emissions Analytics and the Department for Transport on the level of emissions from new diesel cars.

Rory Stewart: Tackling air quality is a priority for this Government and we are committed to meeting air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide in the shortest possible time. Defra and the Department for Transport work closely together at all levels to embed air quality considerations in the development of transport policy and delivery, including in relation to vehicle emissions. The inter-Ministerial group on Clean Growth meets as and when required and its members include Ministers and officials from the relevant departments, including Defra and the Department for Transport. The Government’s comprehensive National Air Quality Plan (www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-in-the-uk-plan-to-reduce-nitrogen-dioxide-emissions), published in December last year, is based on the best available evidence and uses the latest COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) (4v11) factors to calculate emissions from diesel cars. In May, the Government will present the results of its vehicle testing programme (www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-emissions-testing-programme-conclusions) to European Research for Mobile Emission Sources (ERMES), the body responsible for collating vehicle emission data, to inform its updated emissions factors later this year. This will ensure that EU-wide emission factors more accurately reflect the difference between real world driving and laboratory test conditions.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency is expected to resolve post-payment adjustments for the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme before September 2016; and if all outstanding cases will receive interest on their payments.

George Eustice: Any farmer who has received a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme claim statement and noticed a difference from what they were expecting is advised to contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The RPA will investigate these differences over the summer and will make the appropriate adjustments where necessary. However, there is no legal provision to pay interest on outstanding amounts.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by when will 2015 payments to farmers from the Rural Payments Agency be completed; and when can farmers receiving a 50 per cent bridging payment expect to be paid in full.

George Eustice: As of 2 May, some 79,013 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claims have now been completed. This represents 78,102 payments and 911 that resulted in no payments being due. Bridging payments were made by the end of April to those farmers not in receipt of their BPS 2015 claim payment in recognition of the cash flow pressures they are facing. The Rural Payments Agency will continue to make full payments throughout the remainder of the payment window and anticipates completing this work by the end of June 2016.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Lobbying

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on future funding of research by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs of the introduction of anti-lobbying clauses in government grant arrangements.

George Eustice: The Government is committed to supporting our excellent science and research community. The anti-lobbying clause is mandated by the Cabinet Office so the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be implementing the clause. No detailed assessment has yet been made against the future funding of research following the implementation of the new clause, but the initial belief is that it will have minimal impact. We are continuing to engage with the research community and will outline more detail in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Lobbying

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which categories of recipients of grants awarded by her Department will be covered by the new anti-lobbying clause in Government grant agreements.

George Eustice: The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs intends to await further guidance from the Cabinet Office with regards to the implementation of the grants clause following its review of representations.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Grants

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations have received public grant funding from her Department in each of the last five years; how much grant funding each organisation received; and what the purpose of each such grant was.

George Eustice: A list of grants by organisation for the last five years (2011-16 inclusive) will be placed in the Library. It is not possible to identify the actual amount each organisation received related to each listed grant without incurring a disproportionate cost to the department, therefore an average value has been apportioned to each requested financial year from the total grant value.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Lobbying

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many organisations in receipt of grant funding awarded by her Department were found to have engaged in activity that (a) influenced or attempted to influence Parliament, Government or the European Commission and (b) attempted to influence legislative or regulatory action in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: Defra does provide grants to help fund certain bodies which are trying to achieve objectives that are aligned to those of the department. However, these primarily have a global focus in relation to protecting eco-systems, the environment and protecting wildlife and whilst their activities may include lobbying international bodies and governments, we do not have specific details on this.

Air Pollution

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is reviewing (a) the number of air quality zones expected to comply with nitrogen dioxide limits by 2020 and (b) her Department's Air Quality Plan to take account of the results of the Government's diesel emissions testing programme.

Rory Stewart: Our air quality plan is based on the best available data and our modelling uses the latest COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) factors to calculate emissions from diesel cars. These derive from a mixture of laboratory and on-road tests and are used by many other Member States across Europe. The ERMES (European Research Group on Mobile Emission Sources) network collates the emission measurement data which are used to update the emissions factors in the COPERT model. Tackling air quality is a priority for this Government, which is why in May we will share the results of the testing programme with ERMES. This research will be used to inform their next update, due at the end of the year, ensuring EU-wide emission factors continue to focus on the latest data updated on the basis of real world testing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Lobbying

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether future grants awarded by her Department to (a) universities and (b) charities will be exempt from the anti-lobbying clause in government grant agreements.

George Eustice: The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will continue to follow the guidance set by Cabinet Office in all respects of the anti-lobbying clause. The current guidance to departments is provided on the Government’s website at the following location:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/498271/Implementation_Guidance_for_Departments_on_Anti-Lobbying_Clause.pdf.

Pesticides

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effects on wider biodiversity of commonly used pesticides; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: Strict regulation is in place to reduce the risk of environmental damage by pesticides. A pesticide may only be placed on the market if and when the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Following a thorough risk assessment, HSE imposes conditions on the way pesticides are used, to ensure there is no harm to human health and no unacceptable effect on the environment. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised. Assessments by Defra and others identify three types of impacts on biodiversity: General impacts of past agricultural intensification. The 2011 UK National Ecosystem Assessment identified significant biodiversity loss over the last 50 years, with pollution and land use change on farmland as major drivers. Land use change includes the loss of flower-rich habitat, changes to cropping types and timings, drainage, hedge management, and pesticide use. It is not simple to disentangle these impacts; Direct impacts on non-target organisms, including insects and aquatic species. For example, Defra-commissioned research on the status of UK pollinators identified some correlative evidence of reduced species richness at the landscape-scale associated with more intensive use of pesticides, but concluded that further research on direct empirical evidence of field-scale impacts was required. Further research is ongoing; and, There is evidence on indirect impacts of pesticides on species such as birds or bats that feed on invertebrates or plants. This is an area of active research in the UK, Europe and North America, with population impacts recorded for some species such as grey partridge.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Rural Payments Agency learns the lessons of the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme.

George Eustice: The Rural Payments Agency has learnt a number of lessons following the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015, in particular, allowing farmers and their agents the opportunity to apply online and on paper for 2016. In addition the online application process has been simplified for 2016.

Seas and Oceans: Pollution Control

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce (a) microbeads entering and (b) rubbish in marine environments.

George Eustice: The UK Marine Strategy Part Three, published in December 2015, sets out the actions we are taking to improve the marine environment. It includes measures that contribute to reducing sources of marine litter, including plastics. Given the trans-boundary nature of marine litter, we are working with other countries in the Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR) to address marine litter. On microbeads in particular, Defra is working with other OSPAR countries and industry to secure the voluntary phasing-out of microplastics in personal care products. Defra is also supporting other EU Member States in calling for the European Commission to come up with proposals to ban microbeads in cosmetics and detergents.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency will maintain the current level of resources until the 2016 applications are logged and the issues with the 2015 applications are resolved; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: We understand the importance of Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers and Defra has ensured that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has all the resources it needs to complete claims processing for 2015 and to help farmers and agents to submit their 2016 applications as promptly as possible. For 2016, applications are coming in with nearly 40,000 received either online or by paper. RPA has 14 support centres and a helpline to provide assistance to help farmers to claim.

Bees: Pesticides

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect bees from (a) neonicotinoids and (b) other harmful pesticides.

George Eustice: A pesticide may only be advertised, sold, supplied, stored and used if the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an authorisation. Such authorisations can only be issued if the active substances contained in the product have been approved by the European Commission. Following a thorough risk assessment, HSE imposes conditions on the way pesticides are used to ensure there is no harm to human health and no unacceptable effects on the environment. The assessment considers risks to bees; any pesticides considered liable to harm bees are not authorised. Neonicotinoids are subject to these rules. The European Commission withdrew approval for the use of three neonicotinoid active substances on a number of crops in December 2013. The UK Government has implemented these restrictions in full. The National Pollinator Strategy includes actions designed to improve the status of our bees and other pollinating insects, for example tackling the loss of flower-rich habitats. Another action is to promote and increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by farmers and growers. Increased uptake of IPM will help to achieve a more targeted approach to managing pests, weeds and diseases, with benefits for pollinators.

Food: Enterprise Zones

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on Food Enterprise Zones.

George Eustice: All 17 of the pilot areas are making steady progress towards establishing their Food Enterprise Zones (FEZ). Some have secured their Local Development Orders (LDO) which are the planning bases for establishing FEZ. As soon as an LDO is established, FEZ can then take forward plans to encourage businesses to make investment decisions to benefit local communities. In Suffolk, there will be three LDOs within two FEZ to reflect the different needs of local food related businesses. These include the FEZ in South Suffolk at Orwell where LDOs will support the growth of existing businesses as well as attracting new inward investment.

Rural Payments Agency: Telephone Services

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the Rural Payments Agency call centre service.

George Eustice: The Rural Payments Agency always receives a high volume of calls on a wide range of subjects and continues to review its resources in response to demand. A number of new measures have recently been introduced, including more automated options, to help route customers to the best solution for their enquiry. The agency’s helpline, based in Workington, played an important role in the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 application campaign.

Agriculture and Environment: Research

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the merits of public grant funded research on the environment, food and farming.

George Eustice: Evidence from assessments of the impact of research undertaken by Research Councils and through the 2014 Research Excellence Framework strongly indicates that research (which may be funded from a range of sources) has many benefits in helping to achieve positive outcomes for the environment and for food and farming. Defra has not however, undertaken any systematic evaluation of the merits of public grant funded research in these areas.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate of real world diesel emissions for Euro 6 vehicles, relative to the laboratory test limit, was used in the evidential basis supporting her Department's conclusion that eight air quality zones would not comply with Nitrogen Dioxide limits by 2020 if no action is taken.

Rory Stewart: The modelling used for the air quality plan was based on the best available data and uses the latest COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) (4v11) factors to calculate emissions from diesel cars.These COPERT factors reflect that there is a difference between laboratory testing of vehicle emissions and real world emissions. They assume Euro 6 diesel cars are, on average, emitting 2.8 times the level of emissions allowed for the Euro 6 standard.In May, the Government will present the results of its vehicle testing programme (www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-emissions-testing-programme-conclusions) to European Research for Mobile Emission Sources (ERMES), the body responsible for collating vehicle emission data, to inform its updated emissions factors later this year. This will ensure that EU-wide emission factors continue to focus on the latest data updated on the basis of real world testing.

Bees: Neonicotinoids

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides when granted emergency authorisation on the bee population in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

George Eustice: Emergency authorisation was granted in 2015 for the use of two neonicotinoids on up to around 32,000 hectares of oilseed rape crop in high-risk situations in England and used by the applicant in Eastern counties. The expert assessment of the application concluded that this would not pose an unacceptable risk to bees. No authorisations were granted for use in Northern Ireland

Neonicotinoids

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

George Eustice: The Government’s policy on pesticides, including neonicotinoids, is that decisions should be made on the basis of all the scientific evidence. Restrictions should be put in place if these are necessary to protect people or the environment. EU restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids imposed in 2013 remain in force and have been fully implemented in the UK. The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to review the risks to pollinators from neonicotinoids. This review is due to conclude in January 2017 and the UK will contribute fully as it progresses. Following the completion of EFSA’s work, the European Commission will consider whether to propose changes to the current restrictions.

Neonicotinoids

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what grounds emergency applications for the use of neonicotinoid pesticides are granted.

George Eustice: Emergency authorisation is a procedure set out in law that allows for authorisation of a product, for a period not exceeding 120 days, for “limited and controlled use, where such a measure appears necessary because of a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”. All applications for emergency authorisation in the UK are decided according to these criteria. In the case of applications relating to restricted neonicotinoids, experts in the Health and Safety Executive and the Expert Committee on Pesticides assess the scientific data to consider the need for the pesticide, the adequacy of the proposed controls and the possible impacts on health and the environment. On the basis of this advice, Ministers will decide whether authorisations can be issued.

Department of Health

Electronic Cigarettes: Advertising

Craig Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department plans to provide on types of e-cigarette advertising which will be permitted following the introduction of restrictions under the EU Tobacco Product Directive on 20 May 2016.

Craig Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on how the Government plans to transpose the provisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive on restrictions on e-cigarette advertising into UK law to take account of Public Health England's conclusions on the level of harm e-cigarettes cause relative to smoking.

Craig Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will provide guidance on what communications by e-cigarette manufacturers  will fall to be considered as (a) informative and (b) promotional under the provision of the Tobacco Products Directive.

Jane Ellison: The Government recognises that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) help smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and that we continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. For this reason, the Department welcomes the new rules set out in the revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which will apply in the United Kingdom from 20 May 2016. The Government has taken a minimal approach to transposition of the TPD provisions on e-cigarette advertising into UK law, taking into account existing European case law. The Directive requires a prohibition of e-cigarette advertising in certain media such as TV and newspapers and online, but not for example on billboards. The provisions are compatible with the right to an individual’s freedom of speech and do not prevent individuals’ independent reviews on social media or internet forums. These provisions are enacted by The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016/507 and changes to the Office of Communications Broadcast Codes. The Department will work in close partnership with the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards, including on the need for further guidance for businesses, especially in the first year of implementation to build compliance with the new requirements.

Dental Services: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34010, what the cost of providing NHS dental services in the West Midlands was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The table below shows the expenditure on National Health Service dental services in the West Midlands. The total expenditure figures have been broken down into primary care (delivered by high street dentists through General or Personal Dental Services contracts (GDS/PDS)) and other services (delivered in community and secondary care settings).  2010/11 £0002011/12 £0002012/13 £0002013/14 £0002014/15 £0001GDS/PDS Cost279,997290,274286,385197,166200,9042Fees Charged(63,328)(65,765)(66,682)(47,667)(50,014)3Net Cost216,669224,509219,703149,499150,8904Other (community and secondary care)69,13265,093139,58371,23373,1315Total Expenditure349,129355,367359,286220,732224,021 Source: Rows 1, 2, 3 - Primary care expenditure, Department of Health accounts (2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13) and NHS England accounts (2013/14 and 2014/15); Row 4 - other programme budgeting NHS England.Notes:Figures provided are the expenditure incurred by primary care trusts (PCTs) within the former West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA), and, from April 2013, NHS England West Midlands Area Teams regional teams, in commissioning dental treatment. The balances show the gross expenditure incurred in providing GDS and PDS, which are alternative models of dental care, and the fees charged to the recipient in providing the treatment.Total expenditure is the sum of rows 3 and 4.Expenditure figures between years are not directly comparable owing to changes in commissioning arrangements from PCTs to NHS England from April 2013. The 2013/14 and 2014/15 columns do not include areas formerly known as Shropshire and Staffordshire, and Telford and Wrekin, which were part of the West Midlands SHA footprint.In addition, responsibility for public health and prevention programmes moved from PCTs to local authorities in April 2013.

Zika Virus

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the risk of the Zika virus spreading to the UK.

Jane Ellison: The risk of Zika virus to the United Kingdom population remains very low and has been regularly assessed and reviewed since the first reports of cases of Zika infection from Brazil in May 2015. A pre-Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has met to review the Zika outbreak in the Americas, the link with microcephaly and other disorders, and the risk to the UK. In addition, a qualitative assessment of the risk that Zika virus presents to the UK population was undertaken by the UK Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group, and this was published on the gov.uk website in February 2016, which can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hairs-risk-assessment-zika-virus All evidence is kept under constant review.

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26606, whether it is his Department's intention that all patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis will have access to the drugs previously covered by the Risk Sharing Scheme (a) until and (b) beyond the conclusion of the NICE Multiple Sclerosis MTA in 2017.

George Freeman: The Multiple Sclerosis Risk-Sharing Scheme will remain in place until the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) final updated technology appraisal guidance on disease modifying therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.As long as they are clinically eligible, new and existing patients can continue to access these therapies as part of the Scheme.Once NICE’s appraisal has been completed, the normal access arrangements will apply. National Health Service commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended by NICE within three months of NICE’s guidance being published. In the absence of a positive recommendation from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence.

General Practitioners: Insurance

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support the Government is providing to GPs to help them with the cost of insuring work carried out outside normal hours.

Ben Gummer: The Department and NHS England are working on proposals for discussion with the profession, medical defence organisations, the commercial insurance industry and the NHS Litigation Authority.This will consider:― how personal costs of indemnity and clinical insurance can be contained - provided certain clinical governance standards are met, with the objective of reducing the overall costs to the individual;― the funding routes for indemnity in different models of care; and― with a specific focus on new models of care such as Primary and Acute Community Services and Multi-Speciality Community Providers and the scope for corporate indemnity, freeing up individuals working in those new models from the burden of personal indemnity costs.NHS England created the Winter Indemnity Scheme which ran from December 2015 until March 2016, making £2 million available to cover the cost of additional indemnity premiums for doctors to undertake additional out of hours sessions. This was in response to increased demand for appointments during the winter period.

Disability Aids

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 34277, on disability aids, if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of those delayed days in hospital due to patients waiting for community equipment and adaptions.

Alistair Burt: No estimate has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of delayed days in hospital due to patients waiting for community equipment and adaptions. The Department collects the unit cost of an excess bed day, which, based on reported costs of stays in hospital beyond statistically derived measures of the expected length of stay for given treatments, was £303 in 2014-15. Whilst this unit cost should generally include only the costs associated with the ward, costing guidance acknowledges that active treatment does continue for some patients. Combining it with information on the number of delayed days would therefore tend to overestimate the gross cost of these delays.

NHS: Vacancies

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the advertisement on the Hays recruitment website by NHS England for a temporary Senior Deputy Head of Media Planning and Strategy on a daily rate of pay, whether the successful candidate for that post will be paid through (a) the NHS England payroll, (b) that agency or (c) a limited company.

George Freeman: A decision has been taken by NHS England to remove the position of temporary Senior Deputy Head of Media Planning and Strategy from advertisement. The temporary position will be covered from NHS England’s existing, internal resources.

Tuberculosis: Screening

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33688, how many individuals were screened for tuberculosis among populations deemed to be at high risk of that infection in each year since 2010.

Jane Ellison: There are two systematic tuberculosis (TB) screening programmes for individuals arriving into the United Kingdom. Details of these screening programmes can be found in the collaborative TB strategy for England, available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/403231/Collaborative_TB_Strategy_for_England_2015_2020_.pdf Data on number of individuals screened and number of cases of active TB of the lungs diagnosed by pre-entry screening is provided in the table. Table: Number of active TB cases diagnosed by the UK TB pre-entry annually and total number screened since 2010YearTB diagnosed by pre-entry screeningTotal number screened201083107,89020118796,33420126764,964201313486,6882014369233,251**1,035 records had no clinical details and were excluded from the rate calculationNote:An additional 17 high volume countries joined the screening programme in 2014. In addition, some countries which started screening in 2013 only screened to volume in 2014. More information can be found in the TB pre-entry screening report 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-pre-entry-screening-in-the-uk

Tuberculosis: Screening

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33687, what investment there has been related to the Collaborative TB Strategy for England 2015 to 2020 for (a) tuberculosis (TB) awareness raising, (b) TB case finding (screening) and (c) treatment for under-served populations such as the homeless; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England has resourced a National Tuberculosis (TB) Office to support implementation of the Collaborative TB Strategy for England, including working with stakeholders on awareness raising and case finding and treatment. The National TB Office is also overseeing the work of a Task and Finish group, which is looking at how to tackle the needs of those with TB in under-served populations, including homeless people. The group will present their findings to the National TB Programme in the autumn.NHS England has provided new investment, £10 million in 2015/16 and a further £10 million for 2016/17, to support latent TB infection (LTBI) testing and treatment which includes funding for TB awareness raising and TB case finding and treatment.

Mental Health Services: Offenders

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects all regions in England to have a complete Liaison and Diversion service.

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the decision on the business case for Liaison and Diversion services to be announced by HM Treasury.

Alistair Burt: Liaison and Diversion services are currently provided to over 50% of the population of England. Full roll out by 2020/21, as recommended by the “Five Year Forward View for Mental Health” report published in February 2016, is subject to a decision from HM Treasury on the full business case. A formal response is expected from HM Treasury in the next few days and an announcement will be made shortly thereafter.

Strokes: Medical Treatments

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people with acute strokes were treated with thrombolysis in the last 12 months.

Jane Ellison: Information on the proportion of stroke patients treated with thrombolysis in 2015 is set out in the table below. This information covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ThrombolysisJanuary-March 2015April-June 2015July-September 2015October-December 2015Percentage of all stroke patients given thrombolysis (all stroke types)11.1%11.4%10.9%11.0%Percentage of eligible patients given thrombolysis81.8%83.3%85.6%85.6% This information is taken from the Stroke Sentinel Audit Programme’s clinical audit. More details can be found at: https://www.strokeaudit.org/

Mental Health Services

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mental health referrals have been made in (a) England and (b) London in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has provided the number of new referrals to National Health Service funded secondary mental health and learning disabilities services in January 2016 for all ages shown in the following table. It should be noted that one individual could be referred many times in one year. This is the first period for which the information is available. The information forms part of the Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) which was mandated for collection from 1 January 2016. Referrals starting in Reporting Period January 2016*   England total 259,601   Provider North East London NHS Foundation Trust 5,395West London Mental Health NHS Trust 3,235Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust 315Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust 4,525South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust 3,230Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 3,910Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust 5,885South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust 2,670East London NHS Foundation Trust 5,615Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust 2,620 *Data source: Health and Social Care Information Centre MHMDS 2011/02 to 2014/15 – Annual files Before January 2016, information about NHS funded secondary mental health and learning disability services were collected in the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Dataset and prior to September 2014 – the MHMDS. These were person based datasets, rather than referral based datasets. The HSCIC has provided counts of individuals using services for 2011/12 to 2014/15 in the attached table.These data are not directly comparable with each other.



Mental Health Services table
(Word Document, 22.82 KB)

Death: Weather

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to develop a national cross-departmental strategy for reducing and eliminating excess winter deaths.

Jane Ellison: Excess winter deaths occur due to a range of complex issues, including circulating infections such as influenza.Public Health England (PHE) oversees the implementation of the national flu immunisation programme working closely with the Department and the National Health Service. PHE publishes an annual Flu Plan ahead of the flu season each year which sets out a coordinated and evidence-based approach to planning for, and responding to, the demands of influenza across England.PHE publishes the Cold Weather Plan for England (CWP), in collaboration with the Department, NHS England and the Local Government Association. This aims to avoid preventable illness and deaths in winter by setting out a series of actions for organisations, communities and individuals, to take throughout the year. The CWP is underpinned by a Cold Weather Alert Service provided by the Met Office. The plan is fully aligned with additional guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on reducing excess winter mortality and morbidity and the health risks associated with cold homes.PHE also co-ordinates the cross-government Keep Warm Keep Well booklet which provides information for older people, those on low incomes and those with disabilities about keeping healthy in the winter and the financial help and benefits available.The Cabinet office-led ‘Winter Resilience Network’ has regular cross-government meetings throughout the winter months. Key guidance is provided on the ‘Get Ready for Winter’ website, which is hosted by the Met Office.

Offences against Children

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 32700, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) extent to which clinical need can be determined in the absence of a comprehensive specialist initial assessment and (b) extent to which Local Transformation Plans assess need.

Alistair Burt: Whilst there are a range of health care professionals, for example youth workers and teachers, who deliver interventions and support for children and young people with mental health conditions, clinical need should be determined by a specialist initial assessment in line with guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. To improve awareness and knowledge of children and young people’s mental health, the Department of Health has invested £3 million into expanding MindEd, which is a free e-learning platform, so that those in contact with children can better recognise when help is needed and can ensure they get it. MindEd for Families was also recently launched on 21 April, funded by the Department for Education, to improve knowledge and awareness, reduce stigma and improve parents and carers’ ability to intervene early in mental health issues. In developing local transformation plans, local areas were asked to work with their key partners across health, education, youth justice and local authorities, and crucially, involving young people and their families, to agree locally how best to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in their local populations. These plans should address the full spectrum of mental health, from prevention and resilience building, to support and care for existing and emerging mental health problems, as well as transitions between services.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will carry out a cost-benefit analysis on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis as a preventative measure for HIV.

Jane Ellison: Decisions to fund pre-exposure prophylaxis will depend on a full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

Junior Doctors: Contracts

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34838, under which clauses of the National Health Service Act 2006 he exercised the range of powers used in deciding to proceed to introduce a new contract.

Ben Gummer: The Secretary of State is exercising his powers under the National Health Service Act 2006 (in particular sections 1, 1A, 1B, 1F, 1G and 2), working with NHS employers who, as they are the employers of junior doctors, are using their employment powers.

Patients: Transport

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department monitors the performance of Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group's patient transport services.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not have responsibility for monitoring the performance of Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCGs) patient transport services.We are advised by NHS England that the Sussex non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) is managed by Coperforma who sub-contract to a variety of specialist ambulance and transport providers. Coperforma is therefore held accountable for the actions of all service providers it subcontracts to, as the organisation responsible for the entirety of the PTS.Sussex CCGs are responsible for monitoring Coperforma’s performance.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29568, what steps he has taken to ensure all local transformation plans cover transitions between services including moving from adolescent to adult mental health services.

Alistair Burt: As outlined in in NHS England’s local transformation guidance, published August 2015, NHS England carried out a rigorous assurance process for the 123 local transformation plans (LTPs) to ensure that they met the criteria to deliver the transformation of children and young people’s mental health, including the transition between adolescent to mental health services.A quantitative analysis of the 2015-16 LTPs by NHS England is available on the NHS England website at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/08/nhse-camhs-baselining-summary1.pdfNHS England have also commissioned a thematic review of the plans to ensure they align with the Future in Mind principles to improve children and young people’s mental health. It also aims to, where possible, identify local approaches that could inform future service planning and design in other areas to further improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Epilepsy: Death

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33552, if the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme will audit the number of avoidable deaths from epilepsy in adults.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33552, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy of the Epilepsy Society's longitudinal study on epilepsy mortality.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33552, if he will make an assessment of the extent of regional variation in premature death from epilepsy.

Jane Ellison: The Epilepsy Society paper presents the findings of the National General Practice Study of Epilepsy (NGPSE), a 25-year cohort analysis of 558 people having recurring unprovoked seizures, and also considers more widely the issue of premature mortality and death in epilepsy. The NGPSE study found that 189 (34%) of the cohort died during the 25 year follow-up period, and six people in this group (3%) had died directly due to their epilepsy. The NGPSE also found a frequent link between co-morbidity in epilepsy and death.Increasing numbers of people have multiple long term conditions (LTCs), not just single diseases, and that the management of comorbidity and multimorbidity presents a significant challenge to the National Health Service. It is an issue highlighted in the Five Year Forward View and defined as a central task of the NHS. Improving the support and choice provided to people with LTCs and enabling them to live healthy independent lives remains a key ambition for this Government. NHS England is responding with specific actions to improve the delivery of personalised care planning, self-management support and personal health budgets, as well as helping to support the development of new service models that deliver care that is more proactive and less reactive in the management of patients with LTCs. More information can be found in NHS England’s Business Plan for 2016-17, available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/bus-plan-16.pdf   Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the diagnosis and management of epilepsy covers the issue of comorbidity, including polypharmacy. However, in recognition of this increasing problem, NICE is also working to produce a new clinical guideline on the management of multimorbidity in a range of common conditions which is scheduled for publication in September 2016.Regarding the matter of variation in epilepsy mortality, the Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN), a partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England, has produced a detailed epilepsy profile presenting data at clinical commissioning group (CGG) level against 20 separate indicators, including mortality. CGGs should consider mortality rates alongside other indicators such as prevalence and unplanned admission rates, and in the wider socioeconomic context of their local area to understand the challenges and consider what improvement activity may be appropriate. NHS England is also taking specific action to target unwarranted variation in treatment and outcomes across range of conditions, including epilepsy, through the Rightcare Programme, which is being rolled out to all CCGs in 2016-17. The NIN profiles can be found at the following link:  http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile-group/mental-health/profile/neurologyFinally, as previously set out, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership commissions, develops and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme on behalf of NHS England, Wales and other devolved administration. There are no specific plans for an audit to cover all cases of avoidable deaths from epilepsy at this time.

Paramedical Staff: Sick Leave

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many paramedics have taken time off work due to stress in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer: This information is not collected centrally. Individual ambulance trusts are responsible for helping improve the health and wellbeing of their paramedics including helping them manage their stress.

Electronic Cigarettes

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department collects on trends in e-cigarettes used in the UK across the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not collect any data on the number of people who use electronic cigarettes. The Department makes use of various data sources, including that published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and the Office for National Statistics as an evidence base for policy making. This includes the Opinions and Lifestyles Survey for electronic cigarette use by adults and the Smoking, Drinking and Drugs survey for use by young people.

Psychiatry: Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 30262, what plans Health Education England has to reform funding not related to the bursary scheme for postgraduate training in (a) child psychotherapy, (b) clinical psychology and (c) improving access to psychological therapies from 2017-18.

Ben Gummer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2016 to Question 32448.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34485, on mental health services, when he expects NHS England to publish the website addresses referred to in that Answer.

Alistair Burt: The Department is currently working with NHS England and the Local Government Association to ensure that all local transformation plans (LTPs) are brought together in one place as soon as possible. A quantitative analysis on LTPs by NHS England is available on NHS England’s website at the following page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2015/08/nhse-camhs-baselining-summary1.pdf A qualitative analysis will be available on key themes later this year. The intention from 2016-17 is to mainstream children and young people’s mental health as part of the normal NHS England planning cycle and to integrate LTPs into the new Sustainability and Transformation Plan.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what further discussions his Department plans to hold with industry and other interested parties on the decision of NHS England to end the specialised commissioning process for HIV medicines used for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; what plans he has for the provision of such medicines before the end of the current pilot of early implementer sites over the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has agreed to carefully consider their position on commissioning pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Planning continues on the early implementer tests sites in the meantime. Irrespective of the commissioning arrangements for PrEP, decisions to fund will depend on full assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness and how it can be integrated with other HIV prevention efforts.

Sepsis

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to create a Best Practice Tariff or similar sustained improvement incentive for sepsis.

Ben Gummer: In 2015/16, NHS England introduced an incentive payment (a national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation measure) to encourage the timely recognition and treatment of sepsis for emergency admissions. In 2016/17 this was extended to include in-patients who deteriorate in hospitals. NHS England will continue to review the best way of incentivising high performance in recognising and treating sepsis promptly and appropriately.

Sepsis

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is planning to take to improve professional awareness of sepsis.

Ben Gummer: Plans for improving professional awareness of sepsis were set out in the Cross System Sepsis Board report Improving outcomes for patients with sepsis: A cross-system action plan published by NHS England in December 2015.Health Education England (HEE) has undertaken to extend the scope of its learning materials to focus on sepsis in primary care and in children.Building on the 25 eLearning sessions currently available from e-Learning for healthcare that include sepsis as a topic, a new module will focus on the identification and management of sepsis in primary care.HEE is also working on a short educational video on paediatric sepsis. Finally, HEE is undertaking a piece of scoping work to identify the current provision of learning materials available to support sepsis management and any gaps in this material.

Sepsis

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to launch a public awareness campaign for sepsis.

Ben Gummer: Public Health England has been asked to take forward a national awareness campaign to help parents spot the signs of sepsis, alongside other infections such as meningitis and septicaemia. They will be working with the National Health Service and other partners to ensure the plans are evidence based and effective.

Miscarriage: Counselling

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that affected women and their partners have access to bereavement counselling after early miscarriage.

Ben Gummer: The mandate to NHS England makes it clear they should ensure the National Health Service meets the needs of each individual with a service where people’s experience of their care is seen as an integral part of overall quality. It is for the NHS locally to ensure appropriate facilities and services are in place to support parents following pregnancy loss. To assist NHS commissioners and providers, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Standards for Gynaecology and Standards for Maternity (2008) sets out clear standards for the level of care provided to help women and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss, including the availability of skilled staff to support parents following a stillbirth or miscarriage. In addition, the Department has supported the publication of Health Building note 09-02, which sets out guidance on the planning and design of maternity care facilities, including the facilities available for women and families who suffer bereavement at any stage of pregnancy.

Immigrants: Detainees

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that treatment is provided to detainees held in immigration removal centres who are (a) self-harming and (b) experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ben Gummer: People detained in immigration removal centres (IRCs) should receive an equivalent range and quality of treatment and services for their health needs as people in the community, according to their clinical needs.Health care in IRCs in England is commissioned by NHS England, who only commission evidence-based treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE provides guidance on the treatment of people who self-harm, which healthcare professionals in IRCs are expected to take into account. NICE guidance is available at:http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/self-harmNICE also provides detailed guidance on treating post-traumatic stress disorder, which health professionals in IRCs should take into account when deciding on treatment. This guidance is available at:http://guidance.nice.org.uk/C26

Pharmacy

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department took when devising the new model of community pharmacy to take into account both (a) rural and (b) urban deprivation.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what financial impact analysis his Department has conducted on the proposed new model of community pharmacy.

Alistair Burt: Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review, the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of services or public access to them. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.The Government’s vision is for a more efficient, modern system that will free up pharmacists to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients and the public.We are consulting the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and others, including patient and public representatives, on our proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond. We announced on 16 March 2016 that the consultation period was to be extended to allow more time to develop the proposed changes with the PSNC and others. It will now close on 24 May 2016.The proposals were considered against the Public Sector Equality Duty and other duties. The consultation responses will inform the final impact assessment, which will be published in due course.

Pharmacy: Finance

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the budget reduction for community pharmacy in 2016-17 on high street vacancy rates.

Alistair Burt: Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review, the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of services or public access to them. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population. The Government’s vision is for a more efficient, modern system that will free up pharmacists to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients and the public. Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. A consequence may be the closure of some pharmacies but that is not our aim. We are not able to assess which pharmacies may close or what the effect on high street vacancy rates might be because we do not know the financial viability of individual businesses or the extent to which they derive income from services commissioned locally by the NHS or local authorities or have non-NHS related income. We are consulting the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and others, including patient and public representatives, on our proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond. We announced on 16 March 2016 that the consultation period was to be extended to allow more time to develop the proposed changes with the PSNC and others. It will now close on 24 May 2016.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funds the Government has allocated for research into progressive supranuclear palsy in each of the last three years; and what plans the Government has to allocate further funding for research to support early diagnosis of and effective treatments for that condition.

George Freeman: In the last three years, the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded research relating to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) within the overall infrastructure awards for the following biomedical research centres and units. Spend specifically on research into PSP cannot be disaggregated from total spend through these awards. - NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (£110.1 million; 2012-17);- NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (£58.7 million; 2012-17);- NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (£48.9 million; 2012-17);- NIHR Cambridge Dementia Biomedical Research Unit (£4.5 million; 2012-17);- NIHR Maudsley Dementia Biomedical Research Unit (£4.5 million; 2012-17). The NIHR has launched a new, open competition for biomedical research centre funding from April 2017 to March 2022. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including PSP. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the progress that clinical commissioning groups have made on implementing NICE guidelines on fertility treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he plans to give to clinical commissioning groups on encouraging their move towards full implementation of NICE guidelines on fertility treatment.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the range of prices charged by fertility units within the NHS in England is to provide (a) a cycle of IVF and (b) a cycle of intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Jane Ellison: The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs. CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. As such, NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the NICE fertility guidelines. Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment. Information about the costs of individual treatments is not collected centrally.

Junior Doctors: Pay

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2016 to Question 21676, whether the new junior doctors' contract would be an improvement on the pay structure previously developed without the addition of transition protection.

Ben Gummer: The new Junior Doctor contract is an improvement on the current contract in the pay structure. All doctors will get equal pay for equal work, rather than being paid for time served, to create a genuinely level playing field for men and women. The contract remains within a cost-neutral envelope excluding any workforce growth and the cost of protection sits outside that; this has not changed. There are a number of improvements in the final contract from the November 2015 offer. Some were agreed with the British Medical Association during negotiations in December 2015 and January 2016 and are reflected in the summary offer of 12 February 2016 - for example, restructuring of the nodal pay points with larger basic pay increases occurring earlier in career progression. Some were as a result of the Secretary of State’s consideration of the draft final contract, as set out in the Equality Analysis, and include improvements to the transitional protection arrangements themselves, providing that the three years of pay protection be extended to six years for those working at 0.5 of whole time.

Junior Doctors: Pay

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 88 of the Equality Analysis in the new contract for doctors and dentists in training in the NHS, published in March 2016, if he will implement the recommendation that flexible pay premia should apply where a doctor needs to change speciality because of a disability or the need to care for a person with a disability.

Ben Gummer: Yes. This is explicit in paragraphs 50-52 of Schedule 2 of the Terms and Conditions of Service published by NHS Employers on 31 March 2016.

Junior Doctors: Pay

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 57 of the Equality Analysis in the new contract for doctors and dentists in training in the NHS, published in March 2016, if he will implement the recommendation that a pro rata cash sum equivalent to a five per cent to 10 per cent pay enhancement should be paid to part-time doctors based on the proportion of full-time work for on-call that has been agreed in the work schedule.

Ben Gummer: Yes. This is explicit paragraph 11 of Schedule 2 in the Terms and Conditions of Service published by NHS Employers on 31 March 2016.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Medical Equipment

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage clinical commissioning groups to develop a commissioning policy for requests for cough assist machines for patients with muscle-wasting conditions.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has held with patients affected by muscle-wasting conditions on the benefits of cough assist machines.

Ben Gummer: The provision of cough assist machines is the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). Clinically led CCGs have independence and autonomy to make commissioning decisions for local populations, taking into account the available evidence and individual circumstances, as appropriate.The evidence base to demonstrate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the use of cough assist machines in muscle-wasting conditions is not well established. In order to improve the evidence base, the National Institute for Health Research, which is funded through the Department, is seeking to commission research on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of mechanical cough assist devices compared to other methods of sputum clearance. The deadline for outline proposals was 21 January 2016 with full proposals expected for consideration in July.NHS England has been working with Muscular Dystrophy UK through the Bridging the Gap project to address areas of concern raised by patients and their representatives, one of which is the provision of cough assist machines. The establishment of Bridging the Gap was supported with just under £600,000 awarded by the Department through its Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund. Through this work, a number of CCGs have now developed commissioning policies which set out the circumstances in which to consider these devices based on one developed by Walsall CCG, which has been shared nationally as an example of good practice by Muscular Dystrophy UK.On 26 April 2016, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, met with Muscular Dystrophy UK and a number of patient representatives specifically to hear their concerns about the provision of cough assist machines.

Care Quality Commission: Fees and Charges

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, by what average proportion Care Quality Commission registration fees have changed in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC’s income is made up of both fees paid by providers and grant in aid from the Department. Government policy requires that the CQC must increase the fees it charges registered providers so that it can move towards fully recovering the chargeable costs of regulating health and adult social care in England.The CQC has set a two-year trajectory to reach full cost recovery for all sectors with the exception of the adult social care domiciliary care sector, which will be subject to a four year trajectory and dentists who are already at full cost recovery. The Government has made available £15 million extra funding for general practice (GP) from April 2016 to reflect a number of increasing cost pressures, of which increased CQC fees are a part.The CQC has provided the following information. The CQC has revised the fees that providers will have to pay from April 2016. The table shows how close each sector is to full cost recovery in 2016-17.Average fee increase by sector inspected by the CQC1Sector2012-13 to 2013-142013-14 to 2014-152014-15 to 2015-162015-16 to 2016-17Percentage of CQC costs recovered through fees in 2016-17NHS Trusts0%3%9%75%67%Adult social care - residential0%0%9%12%96%Adult social care - community0%1%9%72%44%Independent healthcare - hospitals0%3%9%12%96%Independent healthcare - community0%12%0%5%98%Independent healthcare - single specialty0%3%9%0%96%Dentists6%9%0%0%100%National Health Service GPsn/a2%9%255%56% ¹To establish the average percentage increase the CQC has compared the fees in each fee band by category and then taken the average increase per category. In most cases the increase is consistent for each band within the category.

Analgesics: Children

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people under the age of (a) 18 and (b) 16 reported to hospital having taken more than the recommended daily allowance of non-prescription painkillers in (i) the last 12 months and (ii) each of the last three years.

Jane Ellison: This information is not collected centrally.

Care Homes: Staff

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it compulsory for people working in residential care homes to be trained in (a) mental health screening and (b) bereavement counselling.

Alistair Burt: All providers of health or adult social care activities that fall under the supervision of the Care Quality Commission already have a legal duty to ensure that all staff working to provide those activities have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience necessary for the work to be performed.The Department of Health in England is not planning to bring forward further legislative proposals to make it compulsory for people working in residential care homes to be trained in mental health screening and bereavement counselling.

Care Quality Commission: Inspections

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Care Quality Commission spent on hotels and accommodation for inspectors in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The rise in the cost of hotels and accommodation for inspectors is due to the new inspection methodology that the CQC started to introduce in 2014. This requires much larger inspection teams, visiting hospital trusts and care providers for longer periods. The results of the inspection provides a more thorough assessment of provider performance and gives better assurance of quality to patients and the public.During 2015-16, the CQC completed its inspection programme for all acute trusts, the largest and most complex organisations. The CQC business plan for 2016-17 sets out its trajectory for completing the first round of its comprehensive inspection programme.The CQC has provided the following information.Expenditure on hotels and accommodation for inspectors by Financial Year1,2 2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Total£ 277,037£494,600£1,399,950£2,684,616£5,049,4311 This table includes a small proportion of accommodation costs for non-inspection activity, such as accommodation costs for attending training courses and conferences. These amounts are not separately identified in the CQC accounts.2 Figures include VAT where applicable.

Epilepsy: Death

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32720, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the removal of quality and outcomes framework indicators EP002 and EP003 on the number of avoidable epilepsy deaths.

Alistair Burt: As part of the 2013/14 negotiations with the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee on changes to the General Practice (GP) contract, NHS England agreed to seek to simplify the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). The aim was to remove unnecessarily prescriptive requirements for clinical practice and to give GPs greater flexibility in adapting clinical care to reflect the needs of individual patients.The retirement of the epilepsy QOF indicators does not mean that patients will cease to receive advice on medication. It is normal clinical practice for GPs to counsel and/or refer patients for pre-conception advice. We would expect GPs to continue to record on their clinical systems where they have provided advice to patients and we intend to continue to collect this information from GP clinical systems so that it can be reported in the interests of transparency.

Nutrition: Surveys

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what meetings Ministers in his Department has had with industry since publication of the blood folate results in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey on 20 March 2015.

Jane Ellison: Details of all Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website. This information is available at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

Congenital Abnormalities

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits for public health and the economy of introducing a birth defects prevention month and a folic acid awareness week similar to those operating in the United States of America.

Jane Ellison: We do not have any plans to introduce a birth defects prevention month and a folic acid awareness week similar to those operating in the United States of America.In November 2015 the Government announced a national ambition to halve by 2030 the rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth. On 7 March 2016 we launched Sign up to Safety - ‘Spotlight on Maternity,’ a guidance document that asks all trusts with maternity services to commit publically to placing a spotlight on maternity and to contributing towards achieving the Government’s national ambition.We are looking at all aspects of preconception health to make sure every child gets the best start in life.

Maternity Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the National Maternity Review; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: The National Maternity Review, Better Births, published earlier this year, set out wide-ranging proposals designed to make care safer and give women greater control and more choices. NHS England is designing a programme to implement the recommendations made in the review. The implementation programme will be led jointly by partners across the system, including NHS Improvement and the Department. The programme will focus on enabling, encouraging and incentivising local health economies to implement the vision set out in the review, taking account of local opportunities and challenges. As the review sets out, local transformation will be supported by national NHS organisations. Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital, has been appointed chair of the NHS England Maternity Transformation Programme Board. The Maternity Transformation Programme Board will drive forward the implementation of the Maternity Review, including work to reduce the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths in England.

Sepsis: Children

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to extend the awareness campaign to adults on sepsis in children.

Ben Gummer: The NHS England cross-system action plan is clear that prevention and raising professional awareness are effective means of improving outcomes for all patients at risk from sepsis. Health Education England has also agreed to develop their education training resources to emphasise the importance of good communication with patients concerning the risks, signs and symptoms of sepsis, where appropriate. In addition to this action focused on professionals, we have asked Public Health England to develop an awareness campaign for parents that focuses upon the symptoms of serious infections in children, such as meningitis and septicaemia, including sepsis.

Warfarin: Clinics

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reclassifying warfarin clinics as anti-coagulation clinics in order to increase availability for anti-coagulation medicines other than warfarin which have been approved and recommended by NICE.

George Freeman: No assessment has been made of the merits of reclassification of warfarin clinics as anti-coagulation clinics as provision of these is a matter for clinical commissioning groups.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of clinical commissioning groups in England are working together on implementation of NICE guidelines on fertility treatment.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to instruct NHS England to commission fertility treatment centrally.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of clinical commissioning groups are fully implementing NICE guidelines on fertility treatment.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of children in the UK who were conceived using IVF relative to (a) Belgium, (b) the Nordic Countries and (c) other EU countries.

Jane Ellison: Information about clinical commissioning groups’ approach to commissioning fertility services is not collected centrally. The Department has not made any estimate of the proportion of children conceived in the United Kingdom using in-vitro fertilisation relative to those countries mentioned. The Department has no plans to instruct NHS England to commission fertility treatment centrally. Fertility services do not meet the criteria set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to be nationally commissioned by NHS England.

Anticoagulants

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that there are not incentives to use particular brands of anticoagulants across the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the practical barriers to prescribing novel oral anti-coagulants at a local level; and what steps his Department is taking to enable patients to receive the most effective medicines to prevent strokes recommended by NICE.

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the level of variation in (a) the amount of novel oral anti-coagulants and (b) other aspects of implementing NICE guidance on preventing strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

George Freeman: Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in June 2014 makes it clear that the choice of anticoagulant should be determined through discussion with the patient. Alongside this, the NICE Implementation Collaborative, which brings together the National Health Service, industry, healthcare professionals and NICE, published a consensus statement which addresses some of the barriers to prescribing novel oral anti-coagulants (NOACs). NHS England and Public Health England, working with the Primary Care Cardiovascular Disease Leadership Forum and third sector organisations including the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association, have also developed resources to support evidence-based commissioning and clinical practice in relation to anticoagulants. These include the CVD Primary Care Intelligence Packs and Atrial Fibrillation – How Can We Do Better, which emphasise the role of NOACs in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and recommend that local clinicians agree a consensus approach that reflects current guidance. The latest information in the Innovation Scorecard on the uptake of NOACs (dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban and apixaban) shows that regional variation is reducing. This variation could be driven by a number of causes including variation in the number of patients eligible and use of different treatment options in different areas, as well as variation in clinical practice. The Accelerated Access Review has the potential to benefit the health system, aiming to improve care and outcomes by giving patients quicker access to new treatments and improve the longer-term affordability of the product pipeline. This will allow the NHS to meet demand for these products in future years. The Review will make recommendations to Government on speeding up access to transformative new medicines and technologies for NHS patients by summer 2016.

Junior Doctors: Contracts

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many junior doctors' contracts have been imposed since July 2015, and in which NHS trusts such contracts have been imposed.

Ben Gummer: The new 2016 contract will start to be introduced in England from 3 August 2016 for general practitioner trainees and trainees in hospital posts approved for postgraduate medical/dental education. Positions are currently being filled according to the terms of the new contract.

Radiotherapy

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy for patients to be able to choose a location convenient to them for receiving radiotherapy treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: It is a National Cancer Peer Review measure that all cancer patients are managed by a cancer-type specific multi-disciplinary team (MDT). This MDT agrees, oversees and co-ordinates the full range of care the patient receives, and considers the importance of ensuring that any cancer treatment is viewed as part of each patient’s whole cancer pathway, including clinical and supportive care. In certain circumstances, a patient may choose to have some aspects of their care delivered by a different team at a different hospital, particularly if they wish to stay with family or friends in a different part of the country to where they live whilst they receive their radiotherapy treatment. In these circumstances, the patient’s care is referred from the local MDT to the chosen MDT during this period.

Psoriasis: Medical Treatments

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with psoriasis are able to access the most effective NICE-approved treatment for their condition regardless of where they live in the country.

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse is of NHS psoriasis patients continuing their current treatment who do not reach the NICE goal of 75 per cent skin clearance from treatment start.

Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved a number of different treatments for psoriasis as part of its technology appraisal (TA) programme, the most recent of these being Secukinumab, which was recommended as a possible treatment for people with plaque psoriasis in July 2015. The National Health Service is legally obliged to fund medicines and treatments recommended by NICE's TA programme, meaning people can access these treatments wherever they live in the country.Information regarding the cost to the NHS of the continued treatment of psoriasis patients who do not achieve 75% skin clearance is not collected. The NICE best practice guideline Psoriasis: assessment and management, published in October 2012, covers approaches to diagnosis and treatment and specialist referral. The majority of TA recommended psoriasis treatments are featured in the guideline, and their success in treating psoriasis is measured using Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index. PASI is a quantitative rating score for measuring the severity of psoriatic lesions based on area coverage and plaque appearance. In most cases, NICE defines an adequate response to treatment as one that includes a 75% reduction in a PASI score. The NICE guidance can be found at the following link:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg153/resources/psoriasis-assessment-and-management-35109629621701For patients who do not responded adequately to either topical treatment or biological therapies, such as those recommended by the NICE TA programme, the guidance recommends referral to a specialised service. NHS England commissions specialised dermatology services nationally and has set out what providers must have in place in order to deliver specialised dermatology care, as well as defining referral criteria. For psoriasis patients, referrals are appropriate where their condition is severe and they have not responded to NICE approved biological therapies. More information on specialised dermatology services can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a12-spec-dermatology.pdf

Drugs

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will reconsider the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority exemption which prior to 2013 enabled organisations to send surplus medicines to (a) developing countries and (b) other countries outside of the EEA.

George Freeman: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is the government body responsible for the safety and licensing of human medicines in the United Kingdom. The supply of a medicine for human use by way of wholesale requires the holding of a wholesale dealer’s licence. Following the transposition of the European Falsified Medicines Directive, the provisions of which are intended to prevent counterfeit medicines from entering the regulated supply chain, this requirement was extended to the export of medicines outside of Europe by way of wholesale from October 2013. The Directive does not allow any exception or exemption from this requirement.

Junior Doctors: Conditions of Employment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) oral and (b) written communication, guidance and information there has been between his Department and Health Education England on implementation of changes to junior doctors' contracts and terms and conditions.

Ben Gummer: The Department communicates on a regular basis with Health Education England (HEE) on a wide range of issues including the implementation of the new contract for doctors and dentists in training.  Departmental officials and I meet on a weekly basis to discuss the implementation of the new contract; the group includes representatives from NHS Employers, HEE and NHS Improvement.